merry after but dyed of griefe before they came In his time Vrsus Earle of Worceter had built a Castle at Worceter to some prejudice of the Monkes the Ditch of which Castle trenched somewhat upon the Church-yard and adjoyned too neere to the Monastery Aldred went unto the Earle and having demanded of him whether it were done by his appointment which hâ—e could not deny looking stedfastly on him used these insolent and uncharitable words Hightest thou Vrse Have thou Gods curse adding yea and mine too and the curse of all hollowed heads unlesse thou take away this Castle and know thou assuredly that thy posterity shall not inherit the Lands of Saint Mary which curse the Monkes say was shortly after accomplished Vrsus dying soone after and Roger his sonne flying the Realme Thurstan Arch-Bishop of â—orke about the yeare of our Lord 1100. contrary to the Kings expresse command and his owne faithfull Oath and promise to Henry the first received his Consecration from the Pope at the Councell of Rheemes whereupon the King banished him the Realme neither could he in five yeares space be entreated to restore him At last the Pope by his procurement writ a very sharpe Letter to the King signifying that he would Excommunicate both him and the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury also if Thurstan were any longer kept from his See and some say he actually Excommunicated them both and interdicted as well the Province of Yorke as of Canterbury from the use of all manner of Sacraments and from the Baptisme of Infants Upon which the King to be out of trouble contrary to his solemne vow yeelded that he should be called home and soone after he was reconciled unto the King This Arch-Bishop Anno 1148. when as David King of Scots entred our borders and spoiled the Countrey as farre as the River of Teyse gathered together such a power as hee was able to raise on a sudden met them at Alverton slew 1200. of them after which hee cast off his Rochet and turned Monke at Pontfrast where hee dyed Henry Murdac Arch-Bishop of Yorke thrust into that See by the Pope against King Stephens good liking who commended his Kinsman William thereto refused to sweare fealtie to the King who thereupon was so displeased with him that the Townsmen of â—ork by his good liking shut Murdac out of the Citie and refused to receive him Murdac suspended them for this affront Eustace the Kings Sonne commanded Divine Service to be said notwithstanding as at other times hereupon divers tumults and seditions were raised in the Citie wherein an Arch-Deacon a great Friend of the Arch-Bishops was slaine two or three yeares these stirres continued till at last the Arch-Bishop submitted and reconciled himselfe to the King Geffrey Plantagenet Henry the second his base Sonne after the Arch-Bishopricke of Yorke had beene tenne yeares void and kept so long in the Kings hands was commended to that See by Richard the first and consecrated by the Arch-Bishop of Towers He tooke an oath to king Richard his Brother then going to the Holy Land not to set foot in England within 3. yeares space yet presently after he hied him over into England but upon his arrivall he was there arrested and imprisoned in a barbarous manner by William Bishop of Ely Lord Chancellour of England being drawne by the heeles from the very Altar of Saint Martins Church in Dover All the time of king Richard he had many contests with the Commons of Yorke who oft complained of him both to the king and Pope Richard dying king Iohn and this Bishop had many contentions one with the other Anno 1194. by the kings permission many grievous complaints were exhibited in Parliament against this Arch-Bishop for extortion and unjust vexations hee had practised but he passed so little thereof that he made no answer to their Bills Moreover in the second yeare of his raigne he commanded the Sheriffe of Yorkeshire to seize upon all thâ— Arch-Bishops goods and Lands and to returne them into the Exchequer for hindring the kings Officers in gathering a kinde of taxe throughout his Diocesse and refusing to saile into Noâ—mandy with him to make a marriage for his Neece and to conclude a league with the French king which command the Sheriffe executing the Arch-Bishop thereupon excommunicated not onely the Sheriffe that had done him this violence but all those in generall who were the Authors of the same and that had beene any meanes to stirre up the kings indignation against him The King hereupon suspends him from his Bishoprick to whom at last he was glad to pay 1000. pound for his restitution Holinshâ—â— writes that whereas this Arch-Bishop of Yorke had offended king Richard he pardoned and received him againe into favour Whereupon the Arch-Bishop waxed so proud that using the king reproachfully hee lost his Arch-Bishopricke the rule of Yorkeshire which he had in government as Sheriffe the favour of his Soveraigne and which was the greatest losse of all the love of God Anno 1207. this fire of contention raked up in ashes brake out againe King Iohn being at Winchester required such of the Nobilitie and Clergie as were there present that payment should be made unto him of the third part of all the moveable goods in England this motion no man gaine-saâ—d but Geffrey the Arch-Bishop who openly contradicted it After this whether it were he were guiltie of some greater attempt or that hee understood his Brother was grievously offended with him secretly hee avoided the Realmeâ— excommunicating before his departure such of his Jurisdiction as either had already paid or should hereafter presume to pay the said taxe whereupon hee was banished the Realme and lived five yeares in exile till his death Godfrey de Kinton his Successour though he had no bickerings with the king that I read of yet he fell out with the whole Citie of Yorke interdicting it in the beginning of Lent and not restoring it till the third of May following Iohn Roman Arch-Bishop of Yorke Anno 1294. excommunicated Anthony Beake Bishop of Durham or rather two of the Bishops servants being one of the kings Councell and at that time beyond the Seas in the kings Service Whereat the king being highly displeased the Arch-Bishop thought it best to put himselfe to his Mercie hee did so and was fain to redeeme the kings favour with 4000. Markes being fined so much by the whole Parliament for this his offence the griefe whereof strucke him into an incurable disease whereof he dyed Thomas de Corbridge his Successour Anno 1299. upon the Popes Commendatory Letters bestowed his Canons place of Yorke and Custoseship of the Parish of Saint Sepulcher on one Gilbert Segrave notwithstanding the King had formerly written earnestly to him in the behalfe of one Iohn Bush his Secretary which affront in preferring the Popes Clerke before him and his Secretary the King tooke so hainously that hee
threats of his brother Richard and of the Bishops conspiring with him to draw the King hither and thither to make him odious both to the Pope and people among whom the Bishop of Winchester was chiefe to whom power was given by the Pope to interdict the Kingdome yeelded at last to this taxe being overcome and debilitated with feare The passages whereof are more largely related by Matthew Paris together with the Popes intollerable exactions upon England William Raley the 41. Bishop of Winchester imployed in this former service for the Pope Anno. 1243. being unduly elected by the Monkes of Winchester contrary to King Henry the third his command the King hereupon commanded that no man should give him or his any victuall or lodging charging the Major and Citizens of Winchester to forbid him entrance into that city which they did the Bishop thereupon excommunicated the Major Monks and whole city and interdiâ—ted the Cathedrall for which he felt the burthen of the Kings displeasure so heavy upon him in England as he thought good to fly the Realme till at last by Boniface the Archbishops intercession and the Popes earnest Letters to the King and Queene he was restored to the Kings favour and obtained License to returne The Bishop hereupon in thankefulnesse bestowed upon the Pope 6000. markes for his fatherly care of him which hee in good nature because he would not be reputed disdainfull tooke every penny It is recorded of this Bishop that a little before his death he had the Sacrament brought unto him and perceiving the Priest to enter his Chamber with it he cried out Stay good friend let the Lord come no nearer unto me it is more fit that I be drawne to hira as a Traytor that in many things have beene a Traytor unto him His servants therefore by his commandement drew him out of his bed unto the place where the Priest was and there with teares he received the Sacrament and spent much time in prayer and soone after died at Turon the 20th of September 1249. Ethelâ—arns halfe brother unto the King a man saith Matth. Paris in respect of his orders yeares and learning utterly unsufficient was at the Kings speciall request elected next Bishop of this See he had at that time other spirituall livings equivalent in revenue to the Archbishopricke of Canterbury which that hee might keepe and yet receive all the profits likewise of the Bishopricke of Winchester he determined not to be consecrated at allâ— but to hold it by his election and so did indeede for the space of nine yeares In the meane time he and the rest of his countrymen with whom the Realme was much pestered were growne very odious as well with the Nobility as the Commons not onely for their infinite wealth and immoderate preferment much envied but much more for their pride and insolency which a man can hardly beare in his owne friend much lesse in an alien and â—tranger whom men naturally dislike much sooner then their owne countrimen Amongst the rest this Ethelmarus bare himselfe so bold upon the King his brother as he gave commandement to his servants to force a Clergy man out of the possession of a Benefice whereunto he pretended some right and if he withstood them to draw him out of his possession in contumelious manner the poore man loath to loose his living defended it so long till by my Lord Elects men he was slaine himselfe and his people so soare beaten and wounded as within few dayes one or two of them died This fact and other like complained of by the Barons to the Pope and King brought all the Poictavins into such hatred as the Realme was ready to rise against them and the rather upon this occasion Anno. Dom. 1252. a certainâ— Priest intruded himselfe by authority of this Prelate into the Hospitall in Southwerke within this Diocesse founded by Thomas Becket Eustathius de Len. Officiall to the Archbishop of Canterbury conceiving himselfe injured hereby because by reason of the patronage his consent ought to have intervened which was omitted through contemptâ— thrice admonished the said Priest to depart because his entranee was injurious and presumptuous the Priest stiled commonly the Prior of this Hospitall refuseth to doe it keeping possession The â—fficiall hereupon excommunicates him for his contumacy under which excommunication the Prior continued fortie dayes multiplying threats and revilings The Officiall not brooking such pride at last commanded this contumacious Prior to be apprehended who hearing of itâ— enters into the Church in his Priestly Vestments were he fortifieth himselfe the officers purposely sent to apprehend him spared him not because he had contemned the keyes of the Church The Officiall therefore commanded him to be carried to Maydstoneâ— a manner of the Archbishops untill it were determined what should be done hereupon thinking to keepe him there beâ—ause the Archbishop was said to be neare that place But the Bishop of Winchester hearing of it was more angry than became him as if he had sufferâ—d a great injury with disgrace presented a grievous complaint to his brethren with whose ayde and councell being puffed up he calling a band of Souldiers together with no small company following them sent them to seeke and apprehend the authors of this violence They therefore with great â—orce and tumult as in a hostile war came to Suwerke thinking to have found them there where searching all places and finding none of them they went hastily with a swift pace to Maydstone to free the Captive Prior there detained with a powerfull hand and breaking downe all that stood in the way searching all secret corners when they found not him they sought for because hee was hid they called for fire that they might burne all to ashes And after many injuries there committed when they found not him they sought for certified by some whisperers where the Officiall was they sought forâ— to wit at Lambeth neare London they all ran thither in a troope where heaving up the doores from their hinges and breaking them running in altogether in a confused troope sodainely before the houre of dinner they tooke the Officiall premeditating no such thing in a hostile and unseemely manner and haling him away they set him on a horse like a vile slave deprehended in the act of stealing to be carried whether they pleased he being not suffered so much as to touch the reâ—nes of the horses bridle that carried him O rash presumptionâ— O unexcusable â—rreverence saith Matth. Paris which so ignominiously handled and worried such an authenticall man so excellent learned so perspicuosly famous and representing the Archbishops person Moreover they inhumanly handled the Chaplaine serving in his Chappell and flying to the hornes of the Altar rayling upon him The Officiall after they had done all things which anger yea fury had perswaded they drew by the Bridle to Fâ—rnehold till they were certified of the Priors restitution detaining him violently against his will
saw that there were swords drawne round about them for words were no jests but there was a contention almost about life and blood Yet the Legate and Archbishop gave not over but prosecuted the tenor of their office for casting themselves humbly downe at the Kings feete in his Bedchamber they beseeched him to compassionate the Church to compassionate his owne sâ—ule and fame that he would not suffer a dissention to be made betweene the Kingdome and Priesthood He rising up courteously although he removed the envie of the things done â—rom himselfe yet he made no effectuall performance of his good promises And so this great suite wherein the Prelates presumed to convent the king himselfe before them to try his title to Castles being temporall possessions ceased and the pretended execution of their owne Canons never pressed before that I read of vanished into nothing These bickerings betweene the Bishop his Nephewes and the king to whom he owed even the Crowne he wore caused all the Bishops to fall off from him againe and joyne with Maude This their treachery to King Stephen is most fully recorded by William Malmesbury who relates that the Bishop of Winchester brother to king Stephen and the Popes Legate taking some offence against the king came to a Parley with Maude in the fields neere Winchester where Maude the Empresse swore and vowed to him that all the greatest businesses in England and especially the Donations of Bishoprickes and Abbies should be at his disposall if he with the holy Church would receive her for their Soveraigne and be continually loyall to her some of the greatest Nobles of her party making the same oath Whereupon the Bishop made no scruple to receive the Empresse as Lady of England and to sweare to her by himselfe and some others that as long as she brake not this agreement that he would be faithfull to her which done the next day she was received by the Bishop in the Cathedrall Church of Winchester with an honourable Procession the Bishop of Winchester going on her right hand and Barnard Bishop of Saint Davids on her left there were other Bishops present beside these as Alexander Bishop of Lincolne Robert of Hereford Nigellus of Ely Robert of Bath with sundry Abbotsâ— a few dayes after Theobald Arch-bishop of Canterbury came to the Empresse at Winchester being invited by the Legate but deâ—erred to sweare fealty to the Empresse without the kings privity being as hee thought a dishonour to his fame and person but after some conference had with the king by the Cardinall and most of the Prelates who intreated leave of him to yeeld to the necessity of the time they condescended to the Legates motion and fell off to the Empresse Whereupon about a fortnight after Easter Theobald Arch-bishop of Canterbury held a Councell of all the Bishops of England and of many Abbots in great state at Winchester wherein the Bishop of Winchester made this speech That by vertue of his Legatine power which he derived from the Pope he had summoned the Clergie of England to this Councell that they might consult in Common of the peace of the Country which was in great danger of Shipwrack that in the time of King Henry his Uncle England was a singular houshold of peace c. Which King some yeares before his death caused all the Bishops and Barons to sweare to the Empresse his Daughter and onely Childe that the whole kingdome of England with the Dutchy of Normandy should descend to her if he had no issue male by the Duke of Loraines daughter That dismall fortune envied his most excellent Uncle so as he dyed in Normandy without issue male Therefore because it seemed long to expect the Lady who resided in Normandy and delayd to come into England to provide for the peace of the Country my Brother was permitted to raigne And although I became a surety betweene God and him that hee should honour and exalt the holy Church maintaine good Lawes and abrogate evill yet it grieves me to remember it shames me to relate what a one he hath shewed himselfe in his kingdome how no justice hath beene exercised upon the presumptuous how all peace was presently abolished almost the same yeare the Bishops apprehended and compelled to a reddition of their possessions Abbies sold the Churches rob'd of their treasures the Counsells of wicked men heard of good men either suspended or altogether contemned You know how often I have convented him both by my selfe and by the Bishops especially in the Councell the last yeare summoned to that purpose and that I got nothing but hatred thereby Neither can it be unknowne to any who will rightly consider it that I ought to love my mortall brother but ought much more to esteeme the cause of my immortall Father Therefore because God hath exercised his judgement touching my brother that he might permit him without my knowledge to fall into the power of the Mighty left the kingdome should â—ottet if it wanted a king I have invited you all by the right of my Legation to assemble together at this place Yesterday the cause was secretly ventilated before the greater part of the Clergie of England to whose right especially it belongs both to elect and ordaine a king Therefore having first invocated as it is meete Gods assistance we have â—lected the Daughter of a peace-making king a glorioâ—s king a rich king a good king and in our time incomparable to be Queene of England and Normandy and we promise fidelity and maintenance to her When the Bishop of Winchester had thus spoken all the Bishops and Clergie present as William of Malmsbury then present at the Councell relates did either modestly give their acclamation to the sentence of Mauds election and Stephens rejection or keeping silence did not contradict it In this Councell many who tooke king Stephens part were excommunicated and by name William Martell who had intercepted some of the Legates goods aâ—ter this Councell the City of London formerly addicted to king Stephen and the greatest part of England willingly submitted to the dominion of Maude who was principally counselled by Robert her brother and by the Legate of Winchester who pretended that hee sought her welfare but within few dayes after there fell out a difference betweene the Legate and Maude which occasioned a great alteration and was the cause of many new mischiefes in Englâ—nd Whereupon the Bishop Legate departed from the Court absolved all those whom he â—ormerly excommunicated in the Councell without the consent of the Bishops raised up a complaint against the Empresse that she intended to apprehend him and made no account of any thing she had sworne to Which report was spred over all England Whereupon he stirred up the Londoners and Barons against the Empresse whom he beseiged and restored Sâ—ephen not onely to his liberty but to the Crowne In the meane time â—his Roger Bishop of Salisbury dyes of a Quarâ—aine Fever which
King and he were reconciled he received him honourably Not long after King Iohn displeased with this Archbishop seised all his temporalties into his hands by Iames de Petorne Sheriffe of Yorkeshire who violently entred into his manners and wasted his goods This Archbishop hereupon excommunicates the Sheriffe and all authours and counsellers of this violence with candles lighted and Bels rung he likewise excommunicated all who had stirred up his brother Iohn to anger against him without his default he also excomunicated the Burgesses of Beverly and suspended the Towne it selfe from the celebration of Divine service and the sound of Bels for breaking his Parke and troubling and diminishing the goods which his Predecessor and he had for a time peaceably enjoyed King Iohn by the advice of his counsell restored him afterwards to his Bishopricke but gave him a day in Court to answer his contempt in not going beyond the Seas with him when summoned to doe it in not suffering the Kings Officers to leavy money of his plowlands as they did in all other parts of the Kingdome in beating the Sheriffe of Yorkes servants and in not paying him 3000. markes due to King Richard soone after the King comming to Beverly was neither received with proâ—ession nor sound of Bels by reason of the Archbishops interdict whose servant Henry Chappell denied to let the King have any of the Archbishops wine for which affront the King commanded him and all the Archbishops servants to be imprisoned whereever they should be found whereupon the King comming to Yorke the Archbishop for a round summe of money through the Queenes mediation bought his peace of the King but yet instantly fell out with the Deane and Chapter about the election of a singing man the Archbishop made choyce of one the Deane and chapter of another as belonging to their election the like contention fell betweene them about the Archdeaconry of Cleveland the Archbishop elected Ralph Kyme the Deane and canons Hugh Murdac for Archdeacon against the Archbishops will and hinder the instalment of Raâ—ph whereupon the Archbishop excommunicated Murdac And at the same time Honorius Archdeacon of Richmond complained against the Archbishop to the Pope for taking away the institutions to Churches and Synodals belonging to him the Pope hereupon writ divers letters in his favour Geoffry thus perplexed and in the Kings disfavour purchaseth his grace and a confirmation of the rights of his Bishopricke from the King for a thousand markes sterling to be payd within one yeere for payment whereof he pawned his Barony to the King After which he falling into the Kings displeaâ—ure againe was forced to fly the Kingdome and died in exile as you may read before p. 186. St. Hugh the ninth Bishop of Lincolne Anno 1108. when King Richard the first by Hubert Archbishop of Canterbury his chiefe Justice required an ayd of 300. Knights to remaine with him in his service for one whole yeere or so much money as might serve to maintaine that number after the rate of three shillings a day English money for every Knight whereas all others were contented to be contributers herein onely this S. Hugh Bishop of Lincoln refused and spake sore against Hubert that moved the maâ—ter wishing him to doe nothing whereof he might be ashamed Vnde pudor frontem signet mentemque reatus Torqueat aut famae titulos infamia laedat He was noted to be of a perfect life because Potestatis secularis in rebus Ecclesiae saevientis impetus adeò constanter elidere consuevit ut rerum corporis sui periculum contemnere vidâ—retur in quo adeò profecit quod jura revocavit amissa Ecclesiam suam à servitute gravissimâ— liberavit as Matthew Paris writes and because hee would not â—ticke to reprove men of their faults plainely and fâ—ankly not regarding the favour or dis-favour of any man in so much that he would not feare to pronounce them accursed which being the King Officers would take upon them the punishment of any person within Orders of the Church for hunting and killing the Kings game within his Parkes Forrests and Chases yea and that which is more he would deny payment of such Subsidies and taxes as he was assessed to pay to the uses of King Richard and King Iohn towards the maintenance of their warres and did oftentimes accuâ—e by Ecclesiasticall authoâ—ity such Sheriffes collectors and officers as did distreine upon his lands and goods to satisfie those Kings of their demands alledging openly that he would not pay any money towards the maintenance of warres with one châ—istian Prince upon private displeasure and grudge made against another Prince of the same religion This was his reason And when he came before the King to answer to his disobedience shewed herein he would so handle the matter partly with gentle admoâ—nishments partly with sharpe reproofes and sometimes mixing merry and pleasant speech among his serious arguments that oftentimes he would so qualifie the Kings mind that being diverted from anger he could not but laugh and smile at the Bishops pleasant talke and merry conceits This manner he used not onely with King Iohn alone but with King Henry the second and Richard the first in whose time he governed the See of Lincolne And for these vertues principally was he canonized for a Romane Saint by Pope Honorius the third Peter Suter and Ribadeneira in his life record that this Bishop had many contests with King Richard the first that he resisted the King to his face when he demanded ayde and subsidies of his Subjects so that by his meanes onely and another Bishops who joyned with him the King could obtaine nothing at all whereupon in great rage and fury he banished both the Bishops and confiscated all their goods the other Bishops goods were seised who thereupon afterward submitted and craved pardon of the King but the Kings Offiâ—ers proceeding against S. Hugh he presently excommunicated them so as none of them for feare of this thunderbolt of his durst touch one thred of his garment our Lord having horribly punished divers whom he had excommunicated some of them being never seene nor heard of afterwards One thing this Hugh did which is memorable going to visit the religious houses within his Diocesse he came to Godstow a house of Nunnes neere Oxford seeing a hearse in the middle of the Quire covered with silke and tapers burning round about it he demanded who was buried there and being informed that it was faire Rosamonds Tomb concubine to King Henry the second who at her intreaty had done much for that house and in regard of those favours was afforded that honour he commanded her body to be digged up immediately and buried in the Churchyard least Christian religion should wax vile saying it was a place a great deale too good for an harlot it should be an example to other women to terrifie them from such a wicked and filthy kinde of life This Prelate dying when he was brought to Lincolne to be interred Iohn King of England and William King
to the King recorded at large by Hoveden After which the Pope sent one Rolland Elect Bishop of Dole into Scotland to make peace betweene the King and Iohn who after long debate made this accord that Hugh should abjure the Bishopricke of Saint Andreweâ— and that Iohn should also release all his claimes thereto and in leiu thereof should have the Bishopricke of Dunkelden and all the rents he had before the election and the Chancery of the King and forty markes rent out of the Bishopricke of Saint Andrewes But Hugh when the King required him to renounce his Bishopricke answered That he would rather receive his judgement in the Court of Rome than thus abjure his Bishopricke to which he had beene consecrated And forthwith he reproved the Letters which Iohn had impetrated from Rome against him of falsehood and appealed to the Pope Whereupon Rolland not able to proceed certified the Pope at large of the agreement and proceedings After this Iohn and Hugh appearing before the Pope and Cardinals at Velletris their cause was fully heard and debated in their audience whereupon by the common Counsell of his Brethren he deprived both of them and caused them to resigne the Bishoprick into his hands freely and absolutely And within â—ew dayes after by the advise of all the Cardinalls the Pope restored and confirmed the Bishopricke of Saint Andrewes to Hugh and gave the Bishopricke of Dunkelden with what ever the King formerly offered to Iohn Both the Bishops returning home received these severall Bishoprickes but because the King would not restore to Iohn the things taken from him he questioned Hugh againe for the Bishopricke of Saint Andrewes For which purpose he went to Rome where he procured Hugh to be deposed though but newly setled there before and brought with him five severall Letters from Pope Clement touching this businesse The first to Iocelin Bishop of Glascow Matthew Bishop of Aberden and others declaring the deposition of Hugh and absolving all within his Diocesse from his subjection and obedience and enjoyning them to elect Iohn and receive him for their Bishop The second to William King of Scots to receive Iohn into favour to remove Hugh and invest Iohn in this Bishopricke The third to Henry the second King of England beseeching admonishing and enjoyning him as he tendred the remission of his sinnes and out of his reverence of Saint Peter and him diligently to admonish and perswade the King of Scots Et si necesse fuerit districtione regali qua ei praemines concessa tuae regiae celsitudini potestate compellas c. And if need were To compell him by his royall distresse whereby he was above him and by the power granted to his royall Highnesse to lay aside all his rancor against this Bishop conceived by the malice of some whisperers and removing all excuses to pardon him and to permit him quietly to enjoy the Diocesse of Saint Andrewes without any further trouble or suite seeing he was ready and prepared to be obedient to the King in all things The fourth to all the Clergy and of the Diocesse of Saint Andrewes enjoyning them humbly and devoutly to receive Iohn as their proper Father and Pastor and fromthenceforth to give all due reverence and obedience to his wholesome admonitions and mandates wiâ—hout any diâ—â—imulation declaring all elections of any other to the Bishopricke voyd and threatning to put all the Diocesse under interdict if they presumed to conspire against Iohn untill they should acknowledge their offence and submit unto him The fifth to three Scottish Bishops and sundry Abbots reciting how great persecutions calamities and pressures the Church of Saint Andrewes had suffered under the shadow of the Kings indignation and what great dangers and labours Iohn had sustained â—or the preservation of the liberties of the Church committed to him confirmed by two Popes his predecessours and requiring them after the receipt of this Letter to meete together like wise and provident men and to goe to the Kings presence and diligently to admonish and induce him to remit the rancor of his indignation against the said Bishop and not to contemne the Church of Rome herein but without delay wholesomely to obey and humbly to submit to her and to their admonitions as it was agreeable to his Kingly glory and salvation and quietly to permit the Bishop to enjoy the Bishopricke of Saint Andrewes And that iâ— which God forbid he should resist these Apostolicall monitions to the perill of his owne salvation then they should promulgate an iâ—terdict against his highnesse Kingdome his Person and all his Favorites and Abettors within twenty dayes notwithstanding any appeale by his Apostolicall authority And â—hould strike those with the like sentence who were obedient to Hugh and fomented him in his obstinacy seeing the See Apostolicke had perpetually removed from Saint Andrewes and excommunicated him and should publickely pronounce them to be excommunicated as long as they did thus and should be carefully avoyded by others untill they should returne to the Churches obedience and demaund the benefit of absolution from Iohn as their Bishop Enjoyning them farther to purifie and sanctifie according to the custome of the Church all the Altars and Chalices in which Hugh had celebrated during his excommunication and to suspend all the Clerkes of Saint Andrewes both from their office and benefice and knit them fast in the bond of excommunication who should be contumacious and rebellious against Iohn untill they submitted to him The King hearing these things being at last overcome by the perswasion and intreaty of his friends received Ioâ—n into his favour and granted him peaceably to enjoy the Bâ—shopricke of Dunkelden and all the Rents he formerly had before his consecration upon condition that Iohn should quite claime from all suite the Bishopricke of Saint Andrewes which notwithstanding the Popes Letters wherewith he was furnished he was content to doe and to submit to the Kings mercy knowing That a morsell of bread is better with joy than an house full of sacrifice with contention Hugh being degraded from Saint Andrewes and excommunicated goes to Rome and giving caution to stand to the judgement of the Church he was mercifully absolved by the Pope and within few dayes after dyed at Rome of the plague with most of his family Whereupon the King of Scotland gave the Bishoprick of Saint Andrews to Roger the Earle of Leicestors Sonne then his Chancellour Iohn being present and not contradicting it The same yeare 1188. King William sent Messengers to Pope Clement and obtained of him Letters of Protection in this forme touching the exemption of the Churches of his Kingdome Clemens Episcopus servus servorum Dei charissimo in Christo filio Willielmo illustri Scotorum Regi salutem Apostolicam benedictionem Cum universi Christi jugo subjecti ad sedem Apostolicam patrocinium invenire debeant favorem illos tamen specialius convâ—nit munimâ—ne protectionis confoveri quorum fidem ac
thereof he termes a sore law and much declaimes against them Chap. 8. Though after the determination of Doctors a man is not an hereticke for that onely that hee erreth but for that hee opinatively defendeth his errour and that neverthelesse the spiritualty as a common voyce goeth among the people have in time past punished many for heresie upon light causes and offences whereupon many people have grudged and that grudge hath beene another occasion of this Division Chap. 9. That the partiality that hath beene shewed upon suits taken in the Spirituall Court by spirituall men hath beene another cause of this Division Chap. 10. That the extreme and covetous demeanour of some Curates with their Parishioners hath beene another cause of this Division Chap. 11. That the granting of pardons for money as it were to some Charitable use that hath not after followed hath raised another grudge among the people which hath beene another occasion of this Division Chap. 12. That making of Lawes by the Church which they had no authority to make hath beene another occasion of this Division In which Chapter he cites divers Lawes made by the Clergie and executed contrary to the Lawes of the Realme touching Tythes of wood exemption of Clerkes from secular jurisdiction and the like which lawes while spirituall men sticke fast to and stifly maintaine temporall men by reason of common use and custome that they have seene to the contrary have resisted them whereupon have risen great strife and variances and expences in the spirituall Law Chap. 13. The lacke of good visitations hath beene another occasion of this Division wherein hee shewes that Bishops keepe their visitations onely to gaine money and procurations not to refraine vices Chap. 14. That the great multitude of Licenses and dispensations made by the spiritualty for money upon light suggestions hath beene another cause of this division Chap. 15. That the great laxenesse and worldly pleasures of religious persons whereby the people hath beene greatly offended hath beene another occasion of this Division Chap. 16. Then for a conclusion of this Treatise it is somewhat touched how good it is to have a zeale of Soules and how perilous it is to do any thing whereby they might be hurt And that if zeale of Soules pitty good doctrine and devout prayer were abundantly in this world mist specially in Prelates and spirituall Rulers that then a new light of grace and tractability would shortly shew and shine among the people The summe of the whole Treatise is to prove that the Bishops and Prelates are the authors of much division trouble and dissention both in Church and State and that by their Episcopall practises and unjust usurpations lawes and proceedings William Wraughton who wrote about the same time In his Rescuing of the Romish Fox Dedicated to King Henry the 8. writes thus Wee have put downe some of your orders of the world there remaine yet two orders of the world in England That is the order of pompous and Popish bishops and Gray Fryers Which if they were put downe as well as the other put downe before I reckon that there should be no Kingdome wherein Christ should more raigne than in England And there hee proves at large the Canon Law to be the Popes law and that as long as the Bishops maintaine it in England they maintaine the Pope in his soveraignty and Legislative power in England and that the reading of this Law makes men papists Roderickâ—â—ors sometimes a Gray Fryer in his Complaint to the Parliament house of England about the 37. yeare of King Henry the eight Chap. 23 24. writes thus of our Prelates No doubt one Bishop one Deane one Colledge or House of Canons hath ever done more mischiefe against Gods Word and sought more the hinderance of the same than tenne houses of Monkes Fryers Canons or Nunnes The Kings Grace began well to weed the Garden of England but yet hath he lest standing the more pitty the most fowlest and stinking weedes which had most need to be first plucked up by the rootes that is to say the pricking thistles and stinging nettles which still standing what helpeth the deposing of the petty members of the Pope and to leave his whole body behind which are the pompous Bishops Canons oâ— Colledges Deanes and such other Surely it helpeth as much as to say I will goe kill all the Foxes in Saint Iohns wood because I would have no more Foxes breed in England Which well pondered wee may say and lye not that the Pope remaineth wholly still in England save onely that his name is banished For why his body which be Bishops and oâ—her shavellings doâ—h not onely remaine but also his tayle which be his filâ—hy Traditions wicked Lawes and beggerly ceremonies as Saint Paul calleth them yea and the whole body of his pestiferous Canon Law according to which judgement is given throughout the Realmeâ— So that we be still in Egâ—pt and remain in capâ—ivity most grievously laden by observing and walking in his most â—ilhy drosse aforesaid which is a mistie and endlesse maze And so long as yee walke in those wicked lawes of Antichrist the Pope and maintaine his Knights the Bishops in such inordinate riches and unlawfull authority so long say I yee shall never baniâ—â— that monstrous beast the Pope out of Englandâ— yea and it shall be a meanes in processe of time to bring us into temporall bondage also againe to have him raigne as he hatâ— done like a God and that know our forked caps right well which thing maketh â—hem so boldly and shamelesly to right in their gods quarrell against Christ and his Word c. The Bishops by their subtilâ—es and most crafty wiles make the people to abhorâ—e the name of the Pope of Rome for a face and compell them to walke in all his wicked lawes and the Word of God which wee say we have received is not nor cannot be suffered to be preached aâ—â—â—aught purely and sincerely without mixing it with their invâ—nted traditions and service Wherefore to open the conclusion oâ— this little lamentation â—f â—ee will banish for ever the Antichrist the Pope out of this Realme yee must fell downe to the ground those rotten poasts the Bishops which be clouds withouâ— moystureâ— and utterly abandon all and every of his ungodly Lawes traditions and ceremonies Now will I speake no further against the particular Pope for as much as every Bishop is now a Pope and yee may plainly see by all the premises that the proud Prelates the Bishops I meane be very Antichrists as is their Father of Rome So he and much more Henry Stalbridge in his Exhoâ—tatory Epistle to his deerly beloved Country of England against the pompous Popish Bishops thereof as yet the true members of their filthy Father the great Antichrist of Rome Printed at Basill in King Henry the eighth his dayes thus seconds him I say yet once againe and that in the seale of the
the worse for this President it being much insisted on to justifie the late Taxe of Ship-Money Such perfidious and pernicious Counsellers of State have these Prelates beene in teaching Princes in every Land to lay new Exactions on and Tyrannize more and more over their Subjects Woe saith Mr. Tyndall is to the Realmes where they are of the Councell as profitable are they to the Realmes with their Counsell as the Wolves unto the Sheepe or the Foxes unto the Geese As was this Arch-Prelate who is much blamed in our Histories for this his advice Robert Arch-Bishop of Canterbury layd the first foundation of the Normans Conquest in England perswading King Edward to make Duke William his Heire Whereunto when he had condiscended himselfe became the Messenger of this good tidings unto the Duke taking Harold with him that he might hamper him with an oath as hee did indeede and so barre him from all possibility of the Kingdome which Oath he breaking afterward lost both his liâ—e and Kingdome together The Arch-Bishop now assuring himselfe of the favour of the King not onely presentâ— but him that was to succeede could not endure that any should beaâ—e so great sway as himselfe in Court and therefore fell to devise how he might overthrow Emma the Kings Mother who onely served to over-top him Hee began therefore to beaâ—e into the Kings head how hard a hand his Mother had held upon him when he lived in Normandie how likely it was that his Brother came by his death by the practise of her and Earle Godwyn and that she used the company of Alwyn Bishop of Winchester somewhat more familiarly then was for her honour The King somewhat too rashly crediting these Tales without any further examination of this matter seized upon all his Mothers goods and committed her to Prison in the Nunnery of Warwell banished Earle Godwyn and his sonne and commanded Alwyn upon paine of death not to come forth of the Gates of Winchester The Queene made the best friends she could to be called to her answere but the Arch-bishop so possessed the King as other tryall of her innocencie might not bee allowed then this shee must walke over nine Plough-shares red hot in the midst of the Cathedrall Church of Winchester If shee performed not this Purgation or were found any thing at all hurt she and the Bishop both should bee esteemed guilty if otherwise the Arch-Bishop was content to submit himselfe to such punishment as they should have endured The Arch-Bishops Authority was then so prevalent over the most powerfull persons that the Queene her selfe neither by her owne power nor of the King her Sonne nor of the Nobles and Bishops nor by any other meanes than by her innocencie could keepe off this so notorious an injury and contumely the King and Bishops being forced to approve this most severe Edict of the Arch-Bishop against their wills Whereupon the Queene led by two Bishops in the open sight of the people did this hard Purgation and â—o acquitted her self and Alwyn of the Crimes objected The King then greatly bewayling the wrong done to his Mother by the Arch-Bishops malicious false suggestions asked her forgivenesse upon his knees restored her and the Bishop to their goods and places and to make satisfaction would needes be whipped by the hands of the Bishops there present and receiving three stripes of his Mother was by her clearely forgiven The Arch-bishop the author and plotter of all this stirre and mischiefe fearing the successe of this matter held himselfe at Dover under pretence of sickenesse and as soone as he heard how the world went knowing England to be too hot for him got him over to the Abbey of Gemmeticum where overcome with shame and sorrow he there shortly after ended his dayes the King having passed a publike Sentence against him and his confederates Quod Statum Regni conturbarant c. That they had disturbed the State of the Kingâ—dome stirring up the Kings mind against his Mother and faithfull subjects whereupon he was deprived Stigand placed in his Sea before his death after William the Conquerour had slaine Harold and vanquished his Armie in Battlefield Edwyn and Mercar endeavoured to Crowne Edgar Etheling the rightâ—ull Heire to whosâ— side most of the Nobles the Citizens of London with the Navall Forces adhered and so did Aldred Arch-Bishop of Yorke who presently with the other Prelates â—ell off to William the Conquerour being the stronger side to whom the Pope had sent a consecrated Banner an Agnus Dei and one of Saint Peters haires in way of good speed refusing to side with the Lords whereupon their designements were all suddenly quashed But Arch-bishop Sâ—igand and Eglesigne Abbot of Saint Augustines assembling all the Kentish men together encouraged them to stand for their Liberties though with the losse of their lives and marching before them as their Generalls enclosed him and his Armie by a Stratagem with Branches of trees their Banners displayed and Bows bent and so purchased a confirmation of their Freedomes and Customes from him by way of composition Then comming to London the Conquerour refused to be Crowned by Stigana Aldred Archâ—Bishop of Yorke performing this Ceremonie on â—he day of Christs Nativitie Anno. 1066. Stigand not long after and Alexander Bishop of Lincolne fled intâ— Scotland where they kept themselves close for a season and at last returning King William departeâ— into Normandie knowing Stigand to be of a crafty Pate and perfidious heart and of great power among his Kentish men carryed him over Sea with him lest he â—hould raise new stirres and cause a Revolt from him in England during his absence and then returning into England he caused him with other Bishops that had beene â—reacherous to him to be deposed from his Arch-Bishopricke in a Synod at Winchester for holding the Bishop of Winchester in Commendam with his Arch-Bishopricke for invading the Sea of Canterbury whiles Robert livedâ— for using his Paâ—l left at Canterbury for Simonie and to prevent him from raising any further Tumults The King after his degradation spoyling him of his goods committed him to perpetual Prison where at last he was starved with hunger refusing to reveale those infinite Treasures which hee had heaped up in store to worke some mischieâ—e which were discovered after his death Not long after which plures Episcopi Abbaâ—es many Bishops and Abbots joyned in a Conspiracie with Ralph de Ware and Roger Earle of Hereford against the Conquerour to thrust him out of his Kingdome such faithfull Subjects were they to their Soveraigne to whom they had sworne allegeance William the Conquerour dying by the perswasion of Lanfranke Arch-Bishop of Canterbury who had brought up William Rufus from his Child-hood he left the Crowne of England to his younger sonne William putting the eldest son Robert from the Crowne which was due unto him In which Action God blessed not the Arch-Bishop for the
further revenge whereas Simon Langthon his brother by his procurement had beene elected to the Sea of Yorke a strange example to have an whole Kingdome ruled by two Brethren of so turbulent humors the Pope not onely did cassate his Election but likewise made him uncapable of any Episcopall Dignity placing in that Sea Walter Gray a trustie â—riend to the King and a professed enemie to the Langhtons whose Pall cost him no lesse than a thousand pound King Iohn having thus procured all his Barons to be excommunicated and the City of London siding with them to be interdicted and the Arch-Bishops suspension to be confirmed the Barons and Arch-Bishop held these Censures in such high contempt that they decreed neither themselves nor the Citizens should observe them nor the Prelates denounce them alledging that they were procured upon false suggestions and that the Pope had no power in Secular matters from Christ but onely in Spirituall and that Prelates had nothing at all to doe with Warres and thereupon sent for Lewis the Dolphin of France to receive the Crowne of England Who not so voyd of Ambition as to lose a Crown for want of fetching was not long behind landing here in England in despight of the Popes inhibition and threats of Excommunication to hinder him with a great Army and Fleete of sixe hundred Boates. After which he repaires to Lâ—ndon electing Simon Langhton for his Chancelor the Arch-Bishops Brother the Arch-bishop being the chiefe man in this Rebellion and Treaâ—on against King Iohn by whose Counsell and Preaching the Citizens of London and Barons though all excommunicated by the Pope did celebrate Divine Service and drew on Lewis to doe the like King Iohn levying a great Armie and hasting to give Battaile to those Rebels and Enemies comming to Swinshed Abbey was poysoned in a Chalice by a Monke of that House who went to the Abbor and shrived himselfe telling him how he intended to give the King such a Drinke that all England should be glad and joyfull thereof at which the Abbot wept for joy and praysed God for the Monkes constancie who being absolved before-hand by the Abbot tooke the Cup of Poyson and therewith poysoned both the King and himselfe to doe the Arch-Bishops and Prelates a favour since this King could not abide the pride and pretended authority of the Clergie when they went about to wrest out of his hands the Prerogative of his Princely Government He dying Henry his young Son was received to the Kingdome Lewis forsaken the Barons absolved by the Pope and Clergie-men too after a composion payd by them After this Stephen Langhton enshrines his Predecessor Becket as great a Traytor as himselfe in a very sumptuous Shrine the King and greatest part of the Nobility of the Realme being present at the solemnity which done this Arch-Traytor after he had endeavoured to raise a new Warre betweene the King and the Nobles dyed himselfe Iuly 9. 1228. To obscure whose Treasons and Rebellions our Monkes who writ the Histories of those times have raised up many slanders and lyes of this poysoned King Iohn to his great defamation Richard Wethershed the very next Arch-Bishop withstood King Henry the 3. who in Parliament demanded Escuage of those who held any Baronies of him maintaining that the Clergie ought not to be subject unto the judgement of Laymen though all the Laitie and other of the Spiritualty consented to the King After this hee had a great controversie with Hubert de Burgo Earle of Kent concerning some Lands of the Earle of Gloucester the profits whereof the Arch-Bishop challenged as due unto him in the minority of the sayd Earle The Arch-Bishop complained of the pretended wrong to the King with whom Hubert was very gracious for the good service he had done him in defending Dover Castle against the French and finding no remedy answerable to his minde at the Kings hands who answered him truely That the Lands were held of him in capite and so the wardship of them belonged to himselfe not to the Arch-Bishop hee thereupon excommunicated all the Authors of this his supposed injury the King onely excepted and then gat him to Rome the common Sanctuary and receptacle for all Rebellious Traytorly Prelates this being the first Excommunication that was pronounced against any man for invading the Temporalties of the Church The King hereupon sends divers to Rome to stop the Arch-bishops proceedings and defend his Royall Prerogative The Pope notwithstanding delighted much with the eloquence gravity and excellent behaviour of the Arch-Bishop granted presently all his demands even in prejudice of the Kings Crowne and Right Little joy had he of his Victory for being but three dayes in his way homeward he fell sicke at Saint Gemma and dyed In this Bishops time the Italians had gotten many Benefices in England who being much spited at certaine mad fellowes tooke upon them to thresh out their Corne every where and give it unto the poore as also to rob and spoyle them of their money and other goods after which the Italians were not so eager upon English Benefices Saint Edmund Arch-Bishop of Canteâ—bury had many bickerings with King Henry the third hee was baptized in the same Font that Thomas Becket his Predecessour was and somewhat participated of his disposition Being consecrated Arch-Bishop he presently fell into the Kings displeasure by opposing himselfe against the marriage of Elianor the Kings Sister with Simon Mounâ—fort Earle of Leicester because upon the death of the Earle Marshall her first Husband she had vowed Chastitie to have which vow dispensed withall the King procured the Pope to send Otto his Legate into England betweene whom and the Arch-Bishop there were many quarrels This Arch-Prelate refused to appeare upon summons before the King went to Rome where he made many complaints not onely against Otto but against the King himselfe â—or certaine injuries received at his hands yet with ill successe and was foiled in two severall suites both with the Monkes of Rochester and the Earle of Arundel to whom he was condemned in a thousand Markes to his great disgrace and impoverishing Hee Excommunicated the Monkes of Canterbury for chusing a Prior without his consent The Popes Legate absolving them for money hâ— excommunicated them afresh and interdicted their Church till Otto decided the Controversie which Otto excommunicated Fredericke the Emperour first in the Monastery of Saint Albanes and then publickly in Pauls Church and collected infinite summes of money here in England to maintaine the Popes warres against him which the Emperour tooke very ill at the Kings hands This Arch-Bishop for a great summe of money obtained a Grant fâ—om the Pope in derogation of the Kings Supremacie that if any Bishopricke continued voyd by the space of sixe moneths it should bee lawfull for the Arch-Bishop to conferre it on whom he list which the King procured the Pope immediately to revoke Polichronicon writes that hee called
hereafter in a peculiar Treatise of our Prelates Schisms So he got a grant from the Pope to receive a Subsidie of all the Clergie of his Diocesse to wit foure pence out of every Mark to defray his Archie piscopall chargesâ— under pretext of which by misinterpreting the Popes Bulls hee exacted from them a whole Tenth He endeavoured to exempt Clerkes from Temporall Jurisdiction and Courts in cases of Felony which being obtained divers Clerkes abused their Priviledges committed many hainous crimes so as the Bishops at the Kings and Nobles earnest request were enforced to make a strict Decree for their future punishment and restraint Besides he accompanyed Thomas Lile Bishop of Ely to the Barre where he was arraigned and found guilty of Murther yet admitted his appeale to purge himselfe before him as his Metropolitane after the Jury had found him guilty in affront of Law and Justice After which Ely breaking prison fled to Rome caused the Kings Judges to be Excommunicated together with their servants and their Lands to be Interdicted and such of them as dyed Excommunicated he caused to be unburied and to be digged out of their Graves in Church-yards and cast into Mires which caused great stirres in England At last this Arch-Bishop riding to Magfield fell into a Mire himselfe with his horse in which fall the horse striving to recover himselfe he was plunged over head and eares and drenched in the Myre and comming all wet into Magfield fell into a sleepe before his clothes were put off and so into a Palsey and there dyed A just punishment for his cruelty to the dead Corps oâ— those Excommunicate persons In his time there was a great mortalitie especially among Clergie-men 7â— Bishops dying in one yeare Anno 1345. and 2. the next Simon Langham his next Successour was successively both Chancellour and Treasurer of England and in his time all publike Offices of the King and Kingdome were administred by Clergieâ—men for this Arch-Prelate was Chancellour Iohn Bishop of Bath Treasurerâ— David Wollor Priest Master of the Rolls William Wickham Arch-deacon of Lincolne Keeper of the Privie Seale Iohn Troy Priest Treasurer of Ireland Robert Caldwell Clerke Treasurer of the Kings House William Bugâ—rig Generall Receiver of the Dutchie of Lancaster William Asheby Chancellor of the Exchequer Iohn Newnham one of the Chamberlaines of the Exchequer and one of the Keepers of the Treasury and Kings Jewels and William de Mulso the other Iohn Ronceby Clerke of the Houshold and Surveyor and Comptroller of the Kings workes Roger Barnburgh and 7. more Clergy-men Clerkes of the Chanceryâ— Richard Chesterfield the Kings under Treasurer Thomas Brantingham the Kings Treasurer in the parts of Guines Marke and Calice All which Clerkes abounded likewise with Ecclesiasticall Benefices and Dignities some of them possessing at least 20. Benefices and Dignities by the Popes owne license and having further liberty to retaine as many Livings as they could get This was in the yeare 1367. But not long after Anno 1371. upon a complaint of the Nobles in Parliament all Clergie-men were thrust out of Temporall Offices and Lay-men put into their places Holinshed out of Caxton saith that the King this yeare in Parliament demanded a subsidie of 50000. pound of the Laity and as much of the Clergie The temporall men soone agreed to that payment but the Clergie excused themselves with faire words and shiâ—ting answeres insomuch that the King tooke displeasure with them and deposed certaine spirituall men from their office of dignity as the Chancelour the Privy seale the Treasurer and such other in whose roomes he placed temporall men where as Caâ—ton in truth saith that this subsidy was raised by the Clergie by good avisement out of their Lay Fee and that this their removall from Lay Offices was at the request and asking of the Lords in hatred of men of holy Church with which Walsingham accords This Arch-Prelate being very ambitious was without the Kings privity created by Pope Vrban Cardinall of S. Sixtusâ— with which newes the King being much offended seised on his Temporalties At which the Arch-Bishop nothing troubled did at last with much difficulty obtaine leave from the King to goe to Rome destitute of his Family and stript of all his Archiepiscopall Ensignes where he shortly after dyed William Witlesey who next enjoyed this See had some differences with the King about granting Subsidies At last he and the Clergie condescended to grant an Annuall Tenth upon condition that the King would free them from the intolerable yoak of the Popes opprâ—â—â—ions But Wil. Courtney theÌ„ Bp oâ— Hereford after Arch-Bp of Cant. standing up stoutly in the midst oâ— the Synod sayd with a loud voyce That neither he nor the Clergies of his Diocesse would give any thing to the King beâ—ore the King had remedied those calamities under which the Clergie had long time suffered Whereupon the King sent Messengers to the Pope to Rome to take away Provisions Reservations and other Exactions wherewith the Clergie and people of England were grieved and put the Statute against Provisions in execution Simon Sudbury who next succeeded him about whose Election there was much debate was not long after his Instalment made Lord Chancellour of England and sundry other Clergie-men formerly put from the Administration of Temporall Offices and affaires by his example and meanes were restored to them againe those Lay-men who managed them being disgracefully thrust out thereupon Wakefeld Bishop of Worcester being made Lord High Treasurer This Arch-Bishop in the insurrection of Iacke Straw and Wat Tyler stirred up by Iohn Ball a seditious Priest was by this Vulgar rout who purposed to destroy all Bishops and Abbots proclaimed an enemie both to the King and people who were so incensed against him as their greatest enemie that apprehending him in the Tower of London where the King then was even whiles he was saying Masse they drew him out thence and with an Axe cut off his head like a Traytor The manner of which Execution is thus described by Walâ—igham Godwin and others These Rebels in all haste came to the Tower where the Court then was requiring with great out-cries the Arch-Bishop The Arch-Bishop then Lord Chancellour having had some inkling thereof the day before had spent all that night in prayer and just when they called for him was saying of Masse in the Chappell of the Tower That ended and hearing of their comming Let us now goe saith he unto his men surely it is better to dye seeing to live it can be no pleasure With that in came these murthering Rebels crying Where is the Traytor Where is the Traytor He answered I am the Arch-Bishop whom I thinke you seeke but no Traytor With great violence then they drew him out of the Chappell and carried him to the Tower Hillâ— seeing there nothing but swords and weapons and hearing nothing but Kill kill away with the Traytor c. yet he was not so
Prelate Amm. 1385. this King called a Parliament at London wherein the Laity granted the King one Quindisme and a halfe upon condition that the Clergy would give him one Disme and a halfe This Arch-Bishop stiffely opposed this condition saying That it ought not to be made especially seeing the Church ought to be free and no wayes to be taxed by Lay-men adding that he would rather endanger his head for this cause then suffer the Church of England to be so much inslaved Which Answer so moved the company of Commons that the Knights of the Counties with certaine of the Nobles of the Kingdome with great fury petitioned that the Temporalties of the Ecclesiastickes might be taken away saying That the Clergy were growne to such excessive pride that it would be a worke of piety and charity by the taking away of their Temporalties which did puffe them up to compell them to be more humbly wise These things they cryed out these things they presented to the King in short writings thinking to bring this Petition to effect The Arch-Bishop to prevent the danger consulting with his Clergy granted the King one Tenth very willingly which the King accepted of and so for the present the unsatiable covetousnesse of the Enemies of the Church saith Walsingham was frustrated and this Clause of the Laity obliterated out of the Bill Thomas Arundell his immediate successour by provision from the Pope against the Law as he resigned his Chancellourship of England so soone as ever he was made Arch-Bishop as incompatible with his function as Thomas Becket Walter Reynalds Iohn Stratford with other his predecessors had commendably done before witnesse Matthew Parker Godwin and Fox in their lives which I wish our secular Prelates would now imitate though not in resuming this office againe as he did at last so he was scarce warme in his Seat when by King Richard the seconds displeasure he was dispossessed of the same for not onely the Arch-Bishops Brother the Earle of Arundell was attainted and condemned of High Treason against the King in full Parliament for which he was presently executed but the Arch-Bishop himselfe was by Sir Iohn Bushy in the behalfe of the Commonalty accused of high Treason for that hee had evill counselled his Majesty and induced him to grant Letters of Pardon to his brother the Earle of Arundell being a ranke Traytor After which he was found guilty and condemned of High Treason adjudged unto perpetuall exile for conspiring to take the King the Dukes of Lancester and Yorke prisoners and to hang and draw the other Lords of the Kings Councell and commanded within forty dayes to depart the Realme under paine of death He thus banished got to Rome and found such favour with the Pope as that he first writ earnestly to the King for his Restitution the King writes a sharpe Letter against him to the Pope wherein he sheweth That he plotted Treason against him and endeavoured to take away his life that he deserved rather to be quartered and executed as a Traytor then banished that the whole Kingdome wondred and were offended hee had dealt so mildly with him and not executed him as he deserved that hee was a man impatient of peace of a Trayterous and seditious spirit so as he could not restore him or re-admit him into the Realme without danger of his Life and Kingdome and therefore though all the World consented to his Restitution yet hee would never doe it whiles he breathed Upon which Letters the Pope not onely refused to restore him but at the Kings request made Roger Walden Arch Bishop in his stead The Pope hereupon conferred the Arch-bishopricke of St. Andrews in Scotland with other livings here in England by way of provision upon Arundelâ— who confederating afterward with Henry Duke of Lancaster against King Richard they levyed what forces they could and landed with them in England so that at last King Richard upon parly with this Arundell whom he had banished was forced to resigne his Crowne and to render himselfe prisoner to the Duke of Lancaster with promise of saving his life onely Hereupon the Arch-Bishop after the Resignation made in parliament Crowned the Duke King and made a Briefe Collation on these words 1 King 9. A man shall Raigne over the People Tending wholly to the praise of the new King and disparagement of the old Recorded at large by Holinshed After which hee thrust Walden out of his See and got restitution of it againe the Pope confirming his Restauration and declaring Walden to be an intruder who after a while was made Bishop of London This Arch-Bishop thus restored to his See and in high favour with the King proved a bloody persecutor and butcher of Gods Saints to which end following the steppes of his predecessour Courtney he with the rest of the Bishops fraudulently and surreptitiously procured by craftyâ— meanes and subtile pretences the cruell bloody Statute Ex Officio as Master Fox doth stile it to wit 2. Hen. 4. c. 15. to passe the Upper House of Parliament as a Law without the Commons assent or Privity whose assent they yet foisted into the written and Printed Coppies of that Act to blind the world withall and give it the colour of a Statute though it be not to be found in the Parliament Roll the Commons never consenting to it as Mr. Fox hath shewed at large in his Acts and Monuments p. 539.540 and the Statute of 25. Hen. 8. c. 14. witnesseth which bastard Statute by colour of which alone most or all our English Martyres were afterwards imprisoned burned tortured and put to death being thus unduly obtained this bloody Arch-Prelate forthwith caused many godly Martyres to be burnt to ashes and the Worthy honourable Lord Cobham with sundry others to be put to death by reason whereof the Kingdome of the Pope and of the Prelates his members here in this Realme began to beâ— so strong that none durst stirre or once mutter against them The Bishops having the King so full on their side armed moreover with these two forged Lawes with imprisonments sword fire and faggot raigned and ruled as they listed as Kings and Princes within themselves So strong were they of power that no humane force was able to stand against them so exalted in pride and puffed up in glory that they thought all things to be subject to their reverend majesties Whatsoever they set forth and decreed though in their owne names rites and by their owne authorities it must of all mâ—n bee received and obeyed And it was their Superstitious blindnesse and curious vanity that whatsoever â—oy came once in their fantacy it was straight-way determined and established for a Law of all men to be observed were it never so â—rivilous or superstitious yea such was the pride vaine-glory and insolency of this Arch-Bishop Arundel who stuffed the Church with Ceremonies and vaine Traditions of men as his Successors doth now that he in great
and others to that Arch-traytor Beckets Shrine at Canterbury where they offered many rich gifts Afterwards Anno. 1469. the Earle of Warwicke conspiring with others to free King Henry the Sixth from the Tower of London King Edward hearing of it went in Pilgrimage to Beckets Tombe to Canterbury and there held a Councell of five Bishops and many Peeres of the Realme from which the Arch-Bishop being suspected as trecherous and unfaithfull was wholly excluded King Edward deceasing this Arch-Prelate though hee made a Will sequestred all his goods as ordinary and seized the Great Seale the Privie Seale and the Royall Signer which hee detained in his custodie and whereas Richard Duke of Gloucester had traytorously plotted to murther his Nephewes Edward the Fifth and his Brother this Arch-bishop was imployed by him to goe to the Queene to get the young Duke of Clarence from her out of the Sanctuary at Westminster who using many reasons and flattering words to her in vaine at last made this deepe protestation That if she were content to deliver the Duke to him and to the other Lords present he durst lay his owne body and soule both in pledge not onely for his surety but also for his estate c. Whereupon with much adoe shee delivered the Duke into his treacherous hands who forthwith brought him into the Starre-Chamber to his Uncle the Lord Protectorâ— Hee having both Brothers now in his power pretends them to bee illegitimate proclaimes himselfe right Heire to the Crowne procures first Pinker and then Doctor Shaw no doubt by the Arch Bishops helpe and privity in a Sermon at Pauls Crosse by which Sermon hee lost his honesty and soone after his life for very shame of the World into which hee never durst after to come abroad to publish to the people Tâ—at Edward the fifth and his Brother were unlawfully begotten in Adultery not by the Duke of Yorke but others That Richard of Glocester was right Heire to the Crowne extolling him to the skies and slandering King Edward the Fourth with his Queene as never lawfully marryed to her Then proceeding treacherously to murther his poore young Nephewes and usurping their Royall Throne this Arch-bishop readily crownes him though a bloody and unnaturall Usurper as lawfull King of England and his Lady likewise Queene the other Bishops and Abbots assisting him in this action and accompanying him in their Pontificalibus This Usurper being afterward slaine the Arch-Bishop ever turning with the â—yde of things crownes Henry the 7. likewise King of England and shortly after departed this world Anno 1486. I finde not writes Godwin in his life that ever any English man connued so long a Bishop or that any Arch-bishop either before or after him in 800. yeares enjoyed that place so long for he continued Arch-Bishop 32 yeares and lived after the time of his first Consecration and promotion to the Bishopricke of Worcester 51. yeares and I marvell much that in all that while he never endeavoured to leave behinde him any good Deed for the perservation of his Memory Sure I am that his Treachery to the young Duke of Clarence and King Henry who advanced him and his Treasons in crowning two Usurpers with his base temporising remaine as so many surviâ—ing Monuments of his inâ—amie and disloyalty Iohn Morton his Successour whiles Bishop of Ely was accused by Richard the Third of many great Treasons and committed by him to the Tower from whence being removed and committed to the custody of Henry Duke of Buckingham he by degrees stirred up the Duke to plot the deposing of King Richard the Usurper and seâ—ting up of the Earle of Richmond for which the Duke not long after lost his head The Bishop in the meane time disguising himselfe escaped out of the Dukes custody fled first to Ely next to Flanders after which hee went to Rome never more intending to meddle with the world But King Henry the seventh having got the Crowne married King Edward the fourth his daughter and so united the Houses of Lancaster and Yorke which marriage was first devised by this Prelate called him home againe made him Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and Chancellour of England whereunto the Pope annexed the honour of a Cardinall translating him from Ely to Canterbury by no lesse than sixe â—everall Bulls all against Law to augment the Fees In his time Richard Simon a Priest an ambitious wretch on hope to make himselfe the principall Bishop in England plotted the advancement of Lambert Synmell being his Pupill in the University of Oxford to the Crowne of England under the name of Edward Earle of Warwicke and conveying this Imposter to Dublin in Ireland hee there caused him to be proclaimed King of England after this to land with an Armie in England where in a Battell at Stocke-field in which many were slaine this Priest and his Coâ—â—â—erfeit were both taken Prisoners and attainted of High Treason yet this Simon or rather Sinon out of the extraordinary reverence to his function was not executed but onely committed to the Arch-Bishop who imprisoning him some space in his owne Prison delivering him over to the Major of London condemned him to a Dungeon and perpetuall shackles After which this Arch-Bishop imposed two great Subsidies on the Clergie of his Province to their great oppression forcing â—hem by the Popes authoritie to contribute so largely toward the charges of his tranâ—lation as of his owne Diocesse onely which is one of the least oâ— England hee received 354. pound sent Pope Innoâ—ents Bulls to all the Suffragaâ—es of his Province to publiâ—h and execute in open affront of the Lawes of â—he Realme the Kingâ— Prerogative Royall and the Subjects Libeâ—ties for which good Service the Pope by his Bulls appointed him to be Visiâ—â—r of all the Monasteries and other places exempt from Archiepiscopall and Ordinary Jurisdiction throughout England and made him Cardinall of Saint Anastasia he perswaded the King to sue to the Pope not onely for the Popes canonization of King Henry the Sixth but likewise for the translation of his dead Corps from Windsor to Westminster Abbey and that in an unworâ—hy manner when as the King might have done it by his own meere Royall Authoritie onely He procured his Rebellioâ—s predecessour Anselme with a great summe of money to be canonized at Rome for a Saâ—nt and had many conflicts and contestations with the Bishops of London and other his Suffraganes abouâ— Probate of Wills and Jurisdiction of their Ecclâ—â—iaâ—â—icall Courâ—s which caused Appeales to Rome whereupon â—he â—nferiour Priests with many others of his Province caâ—â— forâ—h sundry publike calumnies to his disgrace against whom Pope Alexander sent forth a Bull cruelly fulminating Excommunications against them And by this meanes the priviledges of the See of Canterbury oft times called into douâ—t and controversie in former time were at laâ—t eâ—â—ablishâ—â— It seemes the Bishops in his dayes were very much hated by the inferiour Clergie whereupon
dwelling demurring inhabiting or resiant within this Realme or within any other the Kings Dominions Signiories or Countries or the Marches of the same or elsewhere within or under his obeysance and power of what Estate Dignity Preheminence Order Degree or Condition soever he or they be after the last day of July which shall be in the yeare of our Lord God 1530â— shall by Writing Cyphering Printing Preaching or Teaching Deed or Act obstinately or malicioâ—sly hold or stand with to extoll set forth maintaine or defend the Authority Jurisdiction or Power of the Bishop of Rome or of his See heretoâ—ore claimed used or usurped within this Realme or in any Dominion or Countie being of within or under the Kings power or obeysance or by any pretence obstinately or maliciously invent any thing for the extolling advancing setting forth maintenance or defence of the same or any part thereofâ— or by any pretence obstinately or maliciously attribute any manner of Jurisdiction Authority or Pâ—eheminence to the sayd See of Rome or to any Bishop of the same See for the time being within this Realme or in any of the Kings Dominions or Counties That then every such person or persons so doing or offending their ayders assistants comforters abettors procurers maintainers factors Counsellours concealors and every of them being thereof lawfully convicted according to the Lawes of this Realme for every such default and offence shall incurre and run into the dangers penalties paines and forfeiâ—ures ordained and provided by the Satute of Provision and Praeâ—â—nire made in the â—6 yeare of the Raigne of the Noble and Valiant Prince King Richard the second against such as attempt procure or make provision to the See of Rome or elsewhere for any thing or things to the derogation or contrary to the Prerogative Royall or Jurisdiction of the Crowne and Dignitie of this Realme And for stronger defence and maintenance of this Act It is ordained and enacted by authority aforesayd that all every Ecclesiastical Judge ordinary chancellour commissary official vicar-generall and other Ecclesiastical officer or minister of what dignity preheminence or Degree soever they shall be and all and every Temporall judge justiciaâ— Major bayliffe sheriffe under-sheriffe Escheater Alderman Iurat Constable Head-borough third-borough borsholder every other said officer Minister to be made created elected or admitted within this Realme or any other the Kings Dominions of what state order degree or condition soever he shall be from and after the sayd last day of July shall before he take upon him the Execution of such Office make take and receive a Corporall oath upon the Evangelists before such person or persons as have or shall have Authority to admit him That he from henceforth shall utterly renounce refuse relinquish or forsake the Bishop of Rome and his authority power and jurisdiction and that he shall never consent nor agree that the Bishop of Rome shall practise exercise or have any manner of authority jurisdiction or power within this Realme or any other the Kings Dominions but that he shall reâ—ist the same at all times to the uttermost of his power and that from henâ—eforth he shall accept repute and take the Kings Majestie to be the onely supreame head in earth of the Church of England and that to his cunning wit and uttermost of his power without guile fraud or other undue meanes he shall observe keepe maintaine and defend the whole effects and contents of all and singular Acts and Statutes made and to be made within this Realme in derogation extirpation and extinguishment of the Bishop of Rome and his authority and all other Acts and Statutes made and to be made in reformation and corroboration of the Kings power of supreame head in earth of the Church of England and this he shall doe against all manner of persons of what estate dignity degree or condition they be and in no wise doe nor attempt nor to his power suffer to be done or attempted directly or indirectly any thing or things privily or apertly to the let hinderance dammage or derogation thereof or of any part thereof by any manner of meanes or for any manner of pretence and in case any oâ—th be made or hath beene made by him to any person or persons in maintenance defence or favour of the Bishop of Rome or his authority jurisdiction or power he repute the same as vaine and adnihilate So helpe him God c. I could wiâ—h this obsolete Oath were now againe revived to hinder the further growth of Popery This forementioned Oath to the Pope usually taken by all our Prelates being one maine Pillar to support the Popes usurped Monarchy both at home and abroade and a chiefe engine to undermine the royall Prerogatives of Christian Princes and perchance the groundworke of many of our owne and forraine Prelates Treasons Treacheries Rebellions Conspiracies and contempts against their Soveraignes It will not be amisse noâ— impertinent here to inserâ— that excellent discourse which our famous Martyr Doctor Barnes hath long since made upon it in his Supplication to King Henry the 8. where he thus writes I dare boldly say that if we poore men which be now condemned for Hereticks and also for Traytors against our King had not beene the Realme of England had not stood in â—o good a condition as it is for men had beene bound still in their Conscience to obey this wretched Idoll who durst have kept this innumerable summe of money within the Realme that yearely was sucked out by this Adder if our godly learning had not instructed their Conscience Let all the Libraries be sought in England and there shall not be one Book written in 4. C. yeares and admitted by the Church of Rome and by our spiritualty found that doth teach this obedience and fidelity toward Princes and delivereth our Realme from the bondage of this wicked Sathan the Pope or else that is able to satisfie and to quieâ— any mans Conscience within this Realme and yet I dare say he is noâ— in England that can reprove our learning by the doctrine of our Master Christ or else of his holy Apostles Yea men have studyed and devised how they might bring our mighty Prince and his Noble Realme under the feete of this Devill There could be nothing handled so secretly within this Realme but if it were either pleasant or profitable to the Pope to know then were all the Bishops in England sworne to reveale thaâ— matter to him This may well be proved by their shamefull and trayterous oath that they contrary to Gods Law mans Law and order of nature have made to this false man the Pope The words of their oath written in their owne Law be theseâ— mannerâ— There hath been wondrous packing used and hath cost many a thousand mens lives ere that the spiritualty brought it to passe that all they should be sworne to the Pope and owe none obedience to any man but to him onely This
to the Pope But what say you to your Oath made unto your Prince wherein you sweare that you shall be faithfull and true and beare unto him above all creatures love and favour to live and to dye with him and to open him all manner of Counsells that may be hurtfull unto his grace Now it is well knowne that the Pope hath done and dayly doth handle such Counsells as be against our Princes honour and conversation And yet you may neither tell it to your Prince nor let it and why because you be sworne to the Pope and forsworne to your Prince Tell me when any thing was opened unto our Prince by you that the Pope had handled in counsell against our Prince Of this thing I will take record of his Noble grace whether I say true or falseâ— and yet must I be accused of Treason And why because you are sworne to the Pope and I am true to the King It followeth I will helpe to defend and maintaine the Papistry of Rome against all men saving mine order And in your new Oath now in our days made is added The regalls of Saint Peter What and in all men be contained your Prince you must needes defend him And why because ye be sworne to the Pope and forsworne to your Prince For your Oath to your Prince is to defend him with all your wit and reason against all men now must you forsake one of them and your practise hath beene alwayes to forsake your Prince and sticke to the Pope for of your Oath made to your Prince you have been oftentimes assoiled And as your Law saith the Church of Rome is 〈◊〉 so to doe But of your Oath made unto the Pope there is no absolution neither in heaven nor earth Neither was it ever read heard nor seene that there could be any dispensation for it Let me be reported by all the Bookes that ever were written and by all the Bulls that ever were granted and by all the experience that ever was used and if I be found false let me be blamed and yet I am sure many men will reckon that I speake uncharitably but I would faine learne of all Charitable men in England with what other English words I could declare this intolerable or subtile treason thus long and shamefully used agâ—inst my Prince which is necessary to be knowne And I am compelled by violence to declare both my conâ—ession and learning in this cause For men hath not beene ashamed to report that I would which am but a wretch and poore simple wonne and not able to kill a Cat though I would doe my utteâ—most to make insurrection against my Noble and mighty Prince whom as God knoweth I doe honour worâ—hip love and favour to the uttermost power of my heart and am not satisfied because it is no more This I speake afore God Let him be mercifull unto me as it is true and if I were not so true in my heart it were not possible for me so earnestly to write against them whom I doe reckon to handle unfaithfully and untruely with their Prince yea against both Gods law and mans law The very truth is I can suffer through Gods grace all manner of wrongs injuries and slanders but to be called an hereticke against God or a Traytor against my Priâ—ce he liveth not but I will say he lyeth and will be able so to prove him if I may be reported by my workes or deedes by my conversation or living or by any thing that ever I did and I dare say as much of my self notwithstanding our Prelates slanders of me But unto my purpose the Bishops doth swear one Oath to the Pope another contrary to their Prince And yet they will be taken for good and faithfull children And I poore man must be condemned and all my workes for Heresiâ— and no man to reade them under the paine of Treason And why because I write against their perjurie toward their Prince But how commeth Saint Peter by these regales that you are sworne to defend seeing that he was never no King but a Fisher All the world knoweth that Regalia belongeth to Kings and to like power of Kings Why are you noâ— rather sworne to defend Peters net and his Fisherie the which things hee both had and used and never regalls But these things will not maintaine the holy Church of Rome and therefore yee sweare not to maintaine them But what meane you by that sentence Saving mine order why say you not saving my Kings pleasure your glosse saith you may not defend these things with weapons But oh Lord God what unshamefulnesse is this thus to delude with words all the whole world Men knoweth that when the Pope hath neede of your helpe there is no men sooner in Armes than you are if you call Armes Harneys Bylles and Glaves swords and gunnes and such other things Doe you not remember how soone the Bishop of Norwich Henry Spenser was in Armes to defend Popâ— Vrban it were but folly to recite examples In the yeare of our Lord 1164. was there a controversie betweene the Kings Grace and the Bishops of England for certaice Prerogatives belonging to the King Wherefore the King required an Oath and a confirmation of the Bishops as concerning those Articles prerogatives But answere was made of the Bishops that those prerogatives cum omnibus pravitatibus in regio scripâ—o contentis were of none effect nor strength because they did forbid to appeale to the Court of Rome unlesse the King gave licence And because that no Bishop might goe at the Popesâ— calling out of the Realme without the Kings assent And because the Clerkes should be convented in criminall causes a fore a temporall Judge And because the King would heare matters as concerning tithes and other Spirituall causes And because that it was against the See of Rome and the dignity of the same that a Bishop should be convented afore the King Briefely they would not be under the King but this addition should be set unto it Salvo honore Dei Ecclesiiae Romanae ordine nostro that is we will be under your grace saving the honour of God of the Church of Rome and of our order the cause why they did except these things was this as they themselves grant For Kings received their authorities and power of the Church but the Church receiveth her authority of Christ onely wherefore they conclude that the King cannot command over Bishops nor absolve any of them nor to judge of tithes nor of Churches neither yeâ— to forbid Bishops the handling of any spirituall cause Is not here a marveilous blindnesse and obstinacie against their Prince They will make it against Gods honour to obey their King and are not ashamed to say in the Kings face that his power is of them But I pray you whether was Kings before Bishops or Bishops before Kings you shall finde
Mary getting the Crowne and putting by the Lady â—ane Cranmer who also aided the Duke of Northumberland with horse and men against the Queene was thereupon committed prisoner to the Tower and soone after condemned of high treason and that by an ordinary Iury for seeking thus to disinherit the Queen who pardoning all the rest that were guilty of this crime released likewise the Treason against him though shee excepted him out of her generall pardon and some other Bishops and accused him onely of heresie as those times deemed it for which hee was deprived degraded and burnt at last for a Martyr repenting of that Recantation which he had over-cowardly made before out of feare and humane frailty And here not to detract any thing from the due praise of this our glorious Martyr give mee leave onely to observe First that hee had a hand in the condemnation and execution of Lambert Frith and some other of our godly Marryrs before hee was thoroughly instructed in the points of our Religion Secondly that hee was the chiefe man in accomplishing the divorce betweene Henry the 8 and Queene Katharine which occasioned much trouble dissention warre and a furtherer of this Kings subsequent lustfull if lawfull marriages Thirdly that the Lincolne-shire rebels in the sixt Article of their grievances presented to King Henry the 8. complaine thus against this Archbishop and other Prelates That wee your true Subjects find them grieved that there be divers Bishops of England of your Graces late promotion that have subverted the faith of Christ as wee thinke which is the Archbishop of Canterbury the Bishop of Rochester the Bishop of Salisbury the Bishop of S. Daveyes and the Bishop of Develin And in speciall as we thinke the beginning of all the trouble of this Realme and the great exactions that hath beene taken of your poore Communalty have risen by the occasion of the Bishop of Lincolne by whose Officers and by other of the Lord Cromwells servants a great rumor and noyse is risen and the common voyce is that such jewels plate and other ornaments of our Parish Churches which wee occupy in the service and honour of God should be taken from us and spoyled in like manner and fashion as the houses of Religion have beene Adde to this Fourthly that though the Popes Supremacy were abolished in his time by sundry Acts of Parliament yet the Bishops of that age laboured underhand to support it what they might and were both willing to continue set it up againe as is cleare by â—1 Hâ— 8. c. 14. the two notable Statutes of 37. H. 8. c. 17. and 1. Ed. 6. c. 2. worthy consideration And likewise by M. Tindall in his obedience of a Christian man and practise of Popish Prelates by Rodoricke Mors his complaint to the Parliament c. 19 20 21. by VVilliam VVraghtons hunting and finding ouâ— of the Romish Fox among the English Bishops and his rescuing of the Fox by Henry Stalbridge his exhortatory Epistle D. Barnes his supplication to King Henry the 8. M. Fox and other Treatises written in those dayes even by Protestants which prove the Bishops of those times to be Traytors to the King close enemies to the Kings Prerogative and fast friends to the Popes unjust usâ—rpation as Bonner Stephen Gardener with other of them shewed themselves in Queene Maries daies By which it appeares that the Bishops in those times were generally disliked and complained against on all hands Fifthly that the bloody Statute of 31. H. 8. c. 14. called by some the sixe Articles by others the whip with sixe strings and by the most part the bloody statute was made and devised in this Archbishops time by the cruelty and policy of the Bishops especially of Stephen Gardener Bishop of VVinchester which Statute for the miserable and pernicious tyranny rigid execution of the same is worthy of no memory among Christian men but rather to be buried in perpetuall silence of oblivion as M. Fox determines Maâ—thew Parker indeed records that Cranmer opposed this Act at first then caused it to be moderated and at last to be repealed in King Edwards dayes but others seeme to imply that he gave consent thereto at first Sixtly that he is the onely Martyr of all the Archbishops of Canterbury none ever dying in defence of the Gospell of Christ but he alone the others making many Martyrs in all ages by their persecutions but never being any themselves Hence Matthew Parker his Successour writes thus Cranmerus fide integra non Pontificia censura in libro vitae scriptus coelestem hâ—â—reditatatem cum Christo consecutus est ut si in hominibus gloriari fas esset non ab Augustino Dunstano Elphego Anselmo Thoma Becket Edmundo reliqua pontificia â—urba sed ab hoc uno qui solus in Christi causa contra Antichristum Flammarum incredibili doloreâ— ad coelos sublaâ—us est Cantuariensis sedes nobilitata esse videatur Seventhly that as this Prelate at first was unwilling to be made a Bishop so he suffered Martyrdome onely after his deprivation and degradation from his Bishopricke not whilst hee was a Bishop Eightly that hee failed more in his Martyâ—dome by reason of his cowardly recantation than any of his fellow Martyrs and that through promises and hopes of life and restitution to his former dignity and Archbishopricke the chiefe motives inducing him to this shamefull recantation Ninthly that though he suffered Martyrdome for Religion only as a private Christian after he was put from his Bishoprick not whiles he continued Archbishop yet he was condemned as a Traytor for-high treason and that justly as he confessed whiles hee was an Archbishop for an Act done by him as an Archbishop and Counsellour of State for which he professed both his sorrow and repentance And this Archprelate and Bishop Ridley committed likewise for Treason were very importunate suitors to King Edward the 6. to tolerate the use of Masse in his Sister Maries familie pressing him with divers politicke reasons to condescend to this their importunate suite which the infant King not onely rejected with strong pious reasons but teares to these Bishops great reproach who thereupon said to M. Cheeke the Kings Tutor Ah M. Cheeke you may be glad all the dayes of your life that you may have such a Scholler for he hath more Divinâ—â—y in his little finger than all we have in all our bodies But to passe from this Martyr to Cardinall Poole his immediate successor This Archprelate though almost if not quite a Protestant in the point of justification was yet a notori-Traytor and so procliamed by King Henry the 8. who thereupon gave his Dâ—anery of Exeter to another and that noâ— without just cause for he refused to come out of Italy to the King his Soveraigne when he sent for him hee was sent twice by the Pope as his Legate both
to the French King and the Germans to stirre them up to make warre against King Henry the 8. and to invade England though with ill successe The King thereupon requested thâ—m to send him over into England that he might proceed against him as a Traytor He was intimate with the Pope studied to advance his power and suppresse his Soveraignes stirred up his friends in England against the King by his letters whereupon the King banished both him and his mother the Countesse of Salisbury by Act of Parliament proclaymed him a Traytor whence Father Latimer in his 5. Sermon before King Edward calls him Cardinall Poole the Kings Traytor c. and after that be headed his mother and elder brother Vicount Mountacute for high treason What manner of person and Traytor this Cardinall was to his Soveraigne will appeare by a Letter written to him being at Rome by Cutbert Tonsiall Bishop of Duresme and Iohn Stokerley Bishop of London which begins thus For the good will that we have borne unto you in times past as long as you continued the Kings true subject wee cannot a little lament and mourne that you neither regarding the inestimable kindnesse of the Kings highnesse heretofore shewed unto you in your bringing up nor the honour of the house that you be come of nor the wealth of the Country that you are borne in should so decline from your duty to your Prince that you should be seduced by faire words and vaine promises of the Bishop of Rome to wind with him going about by all meanes possible to pull downe and put under foot your naturall Prince and Master to the destruction of the Country that hath brought you up and for the vain-glory of a Red Haâ— to make your selfe an instrument to set forth his malice who hath stirred up by all meanes that he could all such Christian princes as would give eares unto him to depose the Kings highnesse from his Kingdome and to offer it as a prey to them that should execute his malice and to stirre if he could his subjects against him in stirring and nourishing rebellions in his Realme where the office and duty of all good Christians and namely of us that be Priests should be to bring all commotion to tranquillity and trouble to quietnesse all discord to concord and in doing the contrary wee shew our selves to be but the Ministers of Sathan and noâ— of Christ who ordained all us that be Priests to use in all places the legation of peace and not of discord But since that cannot be undone that is done the second is to make amends and to â—ollow the doing of the Prodigall Sonne spoken of in the Gospell who returned home to his father and was well accepted as no doubâ— you might be if you will say as he said in acknowledging your folly and do as hee did in returning home againe from your wandring abroad in service of them who little care what come of you so that their purpose by you be served This Cardinals Treason ingratitude and perfidiousnesse is yet further exemplified by the same Cutbert Tonstall in his Sermon which he preached before King Henry the 8. upon Palme Sunday in the yeare of of our Lord 1538. Printed anciently by iâ— selfe in part recited by Holinshed p. 1164 1165. and more largely by Thomas Becon where he thus blazons both the Pope and him in their native colours The Bishop of Rome because he can not longer in this Realm wrongfully use his usurped power in all things as hee was wont to doe and sucke out of this Realme by avarice insatiable innumerable summes of money yearly to the great exhausting of the same hee therefore moved and repleat with furious ire and pestilent malice goeth about to stirre all Christian Nations that will give eare to his Devillish enchantments to move warre against this Realme of England giving it in prey to all those that by his instigation will invade it And the Bishop of Rome now of late to set forth his pestilent malice the more hath allured to his purpose a subject of this Realme Reginald Pole comming of a noble blood and thereby the more arrant Traytor to goe about from Prince to Prince and from Country to Country to stirre them to warre against this Realme and to destroy the same being his native country whose pestilent purpose the Princes that hee breaketh it unto have in much abomination both for that the Bishop of Rome who being a Bishop should procure peace is a stirrer of warre and because this most arrant and unkind Traytor is his minister to so devillish a purpose to destroy the Country that he was borne in which any heathen man would abhorre to doe But for all that without shame hee still goeth on exhorting thereunto all Princes that will heare him who do abhorre to see such unnaâ—uralnesse in any man as he shamelesse doth set forwards whose pernitious treasons late secretly wrought against this Realme have been by the worke of Almighty God so marvellously detected and by his owne brother without looking â—herefore so diclosed and condigne punisâ—ment ensued that hereafter God willing they shall not take any more such roote to â—he noysance of this Realme And where all Nations of Gentiles by reasons and by law of nature do preferre their Country before their Parents so that for their Country they will dye against their Parents being traytors this pestilent man worse than a Pagan is not ashamed to destroy if he could his native Country And whereas Curtius an Heathen man was content for saving of the City of Rome where he was borne to leape into a gaping of the earth which by the illusions of the devill was answered should not be shut but that it must first have one this pernicious man is contented to ruâ—ne headlong into hell so that he may destroy thereby his native country of England being in that behalfe incomparably worse than any Pagan And besides his pestilent treason his unkindnesse against the Kings Majestie who brought him up of a very child and promoted both him and likewise restored his blood being tainted to be of the Peeres of this Realme and gave him money yearly out of his coffers to maintaine him honourably at study makes his Treason much more detestable to all the world and him to be repured more wild and cruell than Tyger But for all this thou English man take courage unto thee and be nothing afraid thou hast God on thy side who hath given this Realme to the generation of Englishmen to every man in his degree after the lawes of the same thou hast a Noble Victorious and Vertuous King hardy as a Lyon who will not suffer thee to be so devoured by such wild beasts Onely take an English heart unto thee and mistrust not God but trust firmly in him and surely the ruine intended against thee shall fall on their owne neckes that intend it and â—eare not though the
and gracious Lady and Queene much false and erroneous Doctrine hath beene taught preached and written partly by divers naturall borne subjects of this Realme and partly being brought in hither from sundry other forraine Countries hath beene sowne and spread a broad within the same by reason wherof as well the spiritualiâ—y as the temporality of your Highnesse Realmes and Dominions have swerved from the obedience of the See Apostolicke and declined from the unity of Christs Church and so have continued untill such time as your Majesty being first raised up by God and set in the seat royall over us then by his divine gracious providence knit in marriage with the most Noble and Vertuous Prince the King our Soveraigne Lord your husband the Popes holinesse and the See Apostolike sent hither unto your Majesties as unto persons undefiled and by Gods goodnesse preserved from the common infection aforesaid to the whole Realm the most reverend father in God the Lord Cardinall Poole Legate de Latere to call us home againe into the right way from whence we have all this long while wandred and strayed abroad and we aâ—â—er sundry long and grievous plagues and calamities seeing by the goodnesse of Godâ— our owne errours have acknowledged the same unto the said most reverend Father and by him have beene and are the rather at the contemplation of your Majesties received and embraced into the unity and bosome of Christs Church and upon our humble submission and promise made for a declaration of our repentance to repeale and abrogate such Acts and Statures as had beene made in Parliament since the said 20. yeare of the said King Henry the 8. against the supremacie of the See Apoâ—stolike as in our submission exhibited to the said most reverend Father in God by your Majesties appeareth The tenor whereof ensueth Wee the Lords spirituall and temporall and the Commons assembled in this present Parliament representing the whole body of the Realme of England and the Dominions of the same in the name of our selves particularly and also of the said body universally in this our supplication directed to your Majesties with most humble suit that it may by your graces intercession and meanes be exhibited to the most reverend Father in God the Lord Cardinall Poole Legate sent specially hither from our most holy Father Pope Iulius the third and the See Apostolike of Rome do declare our selves very sory and repentant of the Schisme and disobedience committed in this Realme and dominions aforesaid against the said See Apostolike either by making agreeing or executing any Lawes ordinances or Commandements against the supremacy of the said See or otherwise doing or speaking that might impugne the same offering our selves and promising by this our supplication that for a token and knowledge of our said repentance we are and shall be alwayes ready under and with the Authorities of your Majesties to the uttermost of our powers to doe what shall lye in us for the abrogation and repealing of the said Lawes and Ordinances in this present Parliament as well for our selves as for the whole body whom wee represent whereupon wee most humbly desire your Majesties as personages undefiled in the offence of this body towards the said See which neverthelesse God by his providence hath made subject to you so to set forth this our most humble suit that wee may obtaine from the See Apostolike by the said most reverend Father as well particularly as generally absolution release and discharge from all danger of such censures and senâ—enâ—â—s as by the Lawes of the Church wee are fallen into and that wee may aâ— children repentant be received into the bosome and unity of Christs Church so as this noble Realme with allâ— the members thereof may in this unity and perfect obedience to the See Apostolike and Popes for the time being serve God and your Majesties to the furtherance and advancement of his honouâ— and glory wee are at the intercession of your Majesties by the authority of our holy Father Pope Iulius the third and of the See Apostolicke assoyled discharged and delivered from excommunication interdictions and other censures Ecclesiasticall which have hanged over our heads for our said defaults since the time of the said schisme mentioned in our said supplication The which time the said Lord Legate and wee do all declare recognise and meane by this Act to be onely since the 20. yeare oâ— the raigne of your most Noble Father King Henry the 8. It may now like your Majesties that for the accomplishment of our promise made in thâ— said supplication that is to repeale all Lawes and Statutes made contrary to the said supremacie and See Apostolike during the said schisme which is to be understood since the 20. yeare of the raigne of the said late King Henry the 8. and so the Lord Legate doth accept and recognise the same After which they repeale in this Act also the Statutes against the Popes supremacie and profit And declare that the title or stile of supemacie or supreme head of the Church of England and of Ireland or either of them never was nor could be justly or lawfully attributed or acknowledged to any King or Soveraigne Governour of this Realme nor in any wise could or might rightfully justly or lawfully by any King or Soveraigne Governour of this Realme be claymed challenged or used And withall they commend Queene Mary for omitting this stile though sâ—â—â—led by Act of Parliament And to colour this disloyalty and prejudice to the Crown they adde this srivolous clause to the end of this Act And forasmuch as we your Majesties humble obedient subjects the Lords spirituall and temporall and Commons in this present Parliament assembled neither by the making or delivering of either the supplications aforâ—said nor by any clause Articles or Sentence thereof or of any other Clause Aâ—ticle or Sentence of this or any other Statuâ—e or the preambles of the same made or agreed upon in this Session of this prâ—sâ—nt Parliament by any manner of interpretation construction implication or otherwise intend to derogate impaire or diminish any of the prerogatives liberâ—ies franchesies preheminences or jurisdictions of your Crowne imperiall of this Realme and other the Dominions to the same belonging Wee do most humbly beseech your Majesties that it may be declared and ordained and be it â—nacâ—ed and declared by authority of this present Parliament that neither the making exhibiting or inferring in this present Statute or in the preambles of the same of the supplicaâ—ions or promise aforesaid or either of them nor any other things words sentences clauses Articles in the preambles or body of the Acts aforesaid shall be construed understood or expounded to derogate diminish or take away any the liberties priviledges prerogatives preheminences authorities or jurisdictions or any part or parcell thereof which were in your Imperiall Crowne of this Realme or did belong to your said Imperiall Crowne the 20.
rotten Corps of learned Martin Bucer Paulus Fagius Peter Martyrs wise to be digged out of their graves and burnt to ashes for Heretiques yea the common talke was that he purposed to have taken up King Henry the 8. his body at Windsor and to have burnt it yea and King Edward the 6. his Corps too as many thought I cannot here omit what his immediate sucâ—essor Matthew Parker records of him that this Cardinall being out of hope to get the Crowne of England to himselfe to which he aspired endeavoured to transferre all his right therein to King Philip leâ—t Queene Mary dying without issue Queene Elizabeth who differed from him and the Papists in matters of Religion whose life he and they had layd in waite for keeping her in long and strict imprisonment should of right injoy it to which purpose they very secretly entred into most wicked consultations concerning this matter to this effect that Mary not onely by the Common Law should be proclaimed Queene but likewise a conquerour of the Kingdome by right of warre so as by this pretext shee might change all publike and private rights and interests and give the Kingdome to whom soever she pleased But this counâ—ell though liked of at first yet because it was doubtfull and dangerous was not long approved of Wherefore rejecting it they thought it best and most expedient for the establishment of the Popes affaires that the Lady Elizabeth should be either dispatched out of the way or married to some Noble Spaniard But God providing for her and our safety dissipated all these wicked consultations and brought them to nothing And Cardinall Poole perswading Queene Mary to joyne with King Philip her husband in a warre against the French King with whom Pope Paul the fourth had confederated against the Emperour seeking to betray the Kingdome oâ— Naples to him the Pope was â—arre exasperated hereby against the Cardinall that he revoked his power Legatine imprisoned Cardinall Moron Protector of the English at Rome and Pooles speciall friend cited Poole to appeare at Rome as suspected of Heresie and created William Peter a Franciscan to be his Legate in his place The Queene hereupon intercedes for the Cardinall who having intelligence of this matter refused to have his silver Crosse the badge of his authority carried beâ—ore him till by the intercession oâ— Ormanet the Popes Dâ—tary here in England and the Queenes mediation he was at last restored to his Office In 〈◊〉 the flames of persecution consumed 5. Bishops 2â— Divines 8. Gentlemen 84. Artificers 100. Husbandmen Servants and Labourers 26. Wives 20. Widowes 9. Virgins aâ— Boyes and 2. Infants To close up all concerning him in Holmsheds words A Trayter he lived and a Traytor he dyed the same day on which Queene Mary expired the Tydings of whose deparâ—ure strucke him quite dead being sicke before of a quartane Feaver Illud autem saith his Successour ad aternam â—mmanitatis Pontificiae memoriam infamiamque contra Polum valebit quod eo Legato ac accelerante integerrimus Doctissimusque Archiepiscopus Craâ—nerus igne crematus est quod Archiepiscopo praeterea quod legimus accidit nemini sew or none of them having zeale enough to make them Martyrs pluresque in illâ— sue legationis triennio ferro staâ—maque crudeliter mactaâ—â— sunâ— quâ—m in â—uiusquam regis eorum qui post Lucium huic insulae imperabant longissimo regno Ita Cranmerum Martyrenâ— Polum tyramâ—um â—antuaria celebrat hic plumbo depressus ille cineribus atque flamma ad coelos elatus est Matthew Parker his immediate successor though a man of better temper a learned Antiquary a frequent Preacher of Gods Word not onely in his Cathedrall at Canterbury but in sundry Parish Churches was yet over-Pontificall and Princely in his buildings feasts houshold-stuffe and apparell if not an overâ—stiffe maintainer of his Jurisdiction and Ecclesiasticall Courts which grew so odious among the people that they offered violence to the Ministers and Promoters of those Courts Anno. 1566. â—eating and vexing them with clamors and out-cryes as they went along the streetes which insolency the Queene by her opportunâ— severity repressed Two yeares afâ—er Annoâ— 1568. Câ—lemâ—n Burton Hallingham Benson and others making profession of the purer Religion more zealously than was knowne before would allow of nothing but what was taken out of the Scriptnres and out of a desire of reformation not onely openly questioned but condemned the received Discipline of the Church of England with the Church Liturgie and the very calling oâ— Bishop as favouring too much of the Popish Religion protesting in the Pulpits that it was an impious thing to hold any thing Common with the Church of Rome using all diligence to have the Church of England reformed in every point according to the Rule of the Church of Geneva These the Queene by this Arch-Bishops instigation commanded to be layd by the heeles yet it is almost incredible how upon a sudden their followers increased every where knowne by the envious name of Puritanes through a kinde of obstinate perversenesse of their owne stopping their eares against all advise so Martyn though I think rather out of solide judgement and the inconveniences they saw and found in the Lordly Prelacie in thosâ— best times which â—saith hee might seeme to be helped forward also by the sloathfull connivency of the Bishops some of whom then misliked their owne calling and government and could have beene content with its dissolution and change to a better and the secret favour of some Noble men at Court whom Martyn slaunders to have gaped after the goods of the Church when as they rather did it out of the mischiefes and dislike of the Prelaticall government In his time the Earles of Northumberland and Westmerland the Lord Dacres and othersâ— Anno 1569. being pressed forward by one Nicholas Martin a Romish Priest senâ— from the Bishop of Rome to pronounce Queene Elizabeth an Hereticke and therefore to have lost all Dominion and Soveraignty raised a Rebellion in the North to set up Popery and restore the Romish Religion the 5. wounds of Christ being painted in their Banners Murrey then Regent of Scotland informed the Queene that the Bishop of Rosse then in England was the Author of that Rebellionâ— whereupon he was committed to the Bishop of London and remained his prisoner And the same yeare Pope Pius the fifth by his Bull excommunicated and deprived Queene Elizabeth from her Crowne and absolved all her Nobles Subjects and people of the Realme from their Oath of allegiance or any other duty to her which Bull Iohn Felton setting up at the Bishop of Londons Palace gate was executed for his paines yet I read of no reâ—utation of it made by this Archprelate Edmund Grindall next enjoying this See a grave and pious man and a fugitive in Queene Maries raigne stood highly in Queene Elizabethsâ—avour â—avour for a long time till by
his place and delivered up his Seale to the Queene without the Councels consent from whom he received it not she having no right to require it For which cause hee was committed to the Tower by the Lord Protectour Richard Duke of Yorke who afterwards usurping the Crowne released the Arch-Bishop out of prison who thereupon sided and was veâ—y inward with this Usurper and at last dyed of the Plague May 29. 1500. I read nothing of Savageâ— his next successour but this That he was not preferred to this See for any extraordinary great learning that he spent his time in a manner altogether as our Prelates doe now either in Temporall affairesâ— being a great Courtier or else in hunting wherewith hee was unreasonably delighted keeping a great number of tall Fellowes about him to attend his person But of his preaching or maintaining Ministers to instruct the people I read not one word It is likely his tall fellowes occasioned many a quarrell and sometimes would take a purse for a need Christopher Bambridge his Successor being Embassadour from King Henry the 8. to the Pope and Lewis the 12. of France perswaded King Henry to take the Popes part and proclaime Warre against Lewis ingageing his Soveraigne in a needlesse Warre only to pleasure his Lord and Master the Pope who for this good service made him a Cardinall he was at last poysoned by Raynaldo de Modena an Italian Priest his Steward upon malice and displeasure conceived for a blow this Bishop gave him when as a Bishop should be no striker 1 Tim. 3.3 as Goodwin relates out of Paulus Iovius Thomas Wolsie or Wolfesie as Mr. Tyndall oft times stiles him an Arch-Traytor and most insolent domineering Prelate succeeded him in that See holding likewise the Bishopricke of Bath and Wells first and after that of Ely Winchester Worcester and Hereford together with the Abbey of Saint Albanes and divers other Ecclesiasticall Livings besides his Temporall Offices in Commendaâ— with it This proud imperious Prelate when he was once Arch-Bishop studied day and night how to be a Cardinall and caused King Henry the Eighth and the French King to write to Rome for him and at their request he obtained his purpose Hee grew so into exceeding pride that hee thought himselfe equall with the King and when he said Masse which hee did oftner to shew his pride then devotion hee made Dukes and Earles to serve him with Wine with assay taken and to hold to him the Bason and the Lavatory His pride and excesse in dyet apparell furniture and attendanceâ— and his pompe in going to Westminster Hall were intollerable and more then Royall or Papall Hee was much offended with the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury because he stiled him Brother in a Letter as though he had done him great injury by that Title Hee quite altered the state of the Kings house putting out and in what Officers he pleased Hee oppressed and vexed the Citizens of London causing divers of them to be executed siding with strangers both Merchants and Artificers against them Confederating with the French King he procured King Henry to permit him to redeeme Tornaye on his owne Termes Hee procured a meeting of the King of England and France to their infinite expence onely that he might be seene in his owne vaine pompe and shew of Dignitie himselfe drawing up the instrument and termes of their meeting in his owne name which began thus Thomas Arch-Bispop of Yorke c. Hee committed the Earle of Northumberland and wrought the Duke of Buckingham out of the Kings favour and at last cut off the Dukes head for opposing his pride and unjust proceedings Hee began his Letters to forraigne Princes and the Pope for the most part in this mannerâ— â—go Rex meus I and my King putting himselfe before his Soveraigne making him but his underling and Pupill swaying him like a Schoole-boy at his pleasure Hee set his Armes likewise above the Kings over Christ-Church Colledge-gate in Oxford which he founded Hee stamped his Cardinalls Cap on the kings Coyne as our Bishops doe now their Armes and Miters on their Procesâ— instead of the Kings Seale and Armes Hee set up a Leganâ—â—ne Court here in England by Commission from the Pope to which hee drew the Conusans of all Ecclesiasticall Causes and when the king had summoned a Convocation at Pauls in London by vertue of his Writ hee came most insolently into the Convocation House and by his power Legantine dissolved the Convocation summoning them all to appeare before him at Saint Peterâ— in Westminster the Monday following there to celebrate the Synod under him which power Legantine brought him and all the Clergiâ— into a Premunire to his overthrow and their cost they being enforced to grant the king an hundred thousand pounds to acknowledge him on earth supreme Head of the Church of England and to renounce the Popes Supremacie to buy their peace He dissolved 40. Monasteries of good worth converting all their goods and moveables into his own Coffers which were so stuffed with Treasure that 12. Barrelsâ— full oâ— Gold and Silver were laid aside to serve the Pope in his Warres emptying the Land also of twelve score thousand pounds which he forced from the king all which he sent to relieve and ransome the Pope then in prison to the great impoverishing of his Majesties Coffers and the Realm His revenues one way or otherâ— were equall to the kings he had no lesse then 1200. Horâ—e for his retinue 80. waggons for his carriage and 60. Mules for sumpter horses when he went into France Hee carried the Great Seale of England with him in his Embassie without the kings consent so that no Writs nor Patents could be sealed nor busines of the kingdom dispatched in the interim He proclaimed warres against the Emperor without the kings consent stirred up the French king to warre against him ayding him with Monies without the Kings privity and contrary to his likeing he demanded â—he 5. part of the true value of every mans goods by way of loane toward the maintenance of the Warrs in France putting men to confesse upon their Oathes the true estimate of their Estates without the Kings privitie which caused many insurrections and mutinies in the Kingdome the people rising up and denying to pay it at which the King being very angry released the loane as an intollerable oppression sore against this Prelates willâ— yet the Cardinall the sole cause and urger thereof would needs lay the odium of it on the King to alienate the hearts of his Subjects from himâ— and take the sole praise of the release of it to himselfe as if hee with much suite and danger had obtained it Hee falsely prosecuted and imprisoned the Earle of Kildare accusing him before the Counsell to take away his life where hee pressed him so deeply with disloyalty that the presumption as the Cardinall did force it being vehement the Treason
the King and his Barons to complaine against the blanke Bulls found in the chests of Beâ—ard de Nympha the Popes agent after his death and of the many machinations of the Romanes to disquiet the Realme Iohn Gerâ—sey next Bishop of Wâ—nchester consecrated at Rome where â—e payd 6000. markes to the Pope and so much more to his Chancellour for his consecration was a great stickler in the Barons warres against King Henry the third as appeares by the forecited passages of Matthew Westminister and was excommunicated by Octobon the Popes Legate for taking part against the King in the Barons warres and forced to goe to Rome for his absolution where he died Henry Woodlocke Bishop of Winchester made request to King Edward the first for Robert Winchelsey Archbishop of Canterbury whom the King had banished for high Treason in which request he called the Archbishop an arch-Traytor his good Lord which the King as he had cause tooke so hainously that he confiscated all his goods and renounced all protection of him Adam Tarleton or de Arleton Bishop of Winchester about the yeere 1327. was arrested and accused of high Treason for aiding the Mortimers against King Edward the second both with men and armour when he was brought to the barre to be arraigned for this Treason the Archbishops of Canterbury Yorke and Dublin with their suffragans came with their Crossesâ— and rescued him by force carrying him with them from the barre in such manner as I have formerly related more at large in the Acts of Walâ—er Rainolds pag. 55.56 Notwithstanding the indictment and accusation being found true his temporalities wereseized into the Kings hands untill such time as the King much deale by his imagination and devise was deposed of his Kingdome If he which had beene a traytor unto his Prince before after deserved punishment for the same would soone be intreated to joyne with other in the like attempt it is no marvell No man so forward as he in taking part with Isabell the Queene against her husband King Edward the second She wiâ—h her sonnes and army being at Oxford this good Bishop steps up into the pulpit and there taking for his Text these words My head grieved me he made a long Discourse to prove that an evill head not otherwise to be cured must be taken away applying it to the King that hee ought to be deposed A Bishoplike application Hereupon they having gotten the King into their power the Bishop fearing least if at any time recovering his liberty crowne again they might receive condigne punishment councelled the Queene to make him away good ghostly advice of a Prelate wherupon she being as ready and willing as he to have it done they writ certaine letters unto the keepers of the old King signifiing in covert termes what they desired they either not perfectly understanding their meaning or desirous of some good warrant to shew for their discharge pray them to declare in expresse words whether they would have them put the King to death or no. To which question this subtile Fox framed this answer Edwardum occidere nolite timere bonumâ—est without any point at all If you set the point betweene nolite and tâ—aere it forbiddeth if betweene nolite and bonum it â—xhorteth them to the committinng of the fact This ambiguous sentence unpointed they take for a sufficient warrant and most pittifully murthered the innocent King by thrusting an hot spit into his fundament and who then so earnest a persecuter of those murthereâ—s as this Bishop that set them a worke who when diverse of his Letters were produced and shewed to him warranting this most trayterly inhumane Act eluded and avoided them by Sophisticall interpretations and utterly denied that he was any way consenting to this hainous fact of which in truth he was the chiefe occasion How clearely he excused himselfe I â—now not But sâ—re I am he like many Arch-trayterly Prelates before himâ— who were oftner rewarded than punished for their Treasons was so farre from receiving punishment as within two moneths after he was preferred unto Hereford than to the Bishoppricke of Worceâ—er and sixe yeares after that translated to Winchester by the Popeâ— at the request of the French King whose secret friend he was which King Edward the third taking in very ill part because the French King and he were enemies detained his temporalties from him till that in Parliament at the suite of the whole Cleargie he was content to yeeld them unto him after which he became blinde in body as hee was before in minde and so died deserving to have lost his head for these his notorious Treasons and conspiracies long before he being the Archplotter of all the Treacheries against King Edward the second Anno. 10. Richard the third 1366. thirteene Lords were appointed by Parliament to have the government of the Realme under the King in diminution of his Prerogative among these Williara Edingdon Bishop of Winchester Iohn Gilbert Bishop of Hereford Lord Treasurer of England Thomas Arundle Bishop of Ely and Chancellour Nicholas Abbat of Waltham Lord Keeper of the privy Seale VVilliam Archbishop of Canterbury Alexander Archbishop of Yorke and Thomas Bishop of Exeter were chiefe and the principall contrivers of this new project which fell out to be inconvenient and pernicious both to the King and Realme the very procurers of this Act as some of the Jâ—dges afterwards resolved deserving death which resolution afterward cost some of them their livesâ— as the Stories of those times declare It seemes this Bishop made great havocke of the goods of his Church for his successor Vâ—illiam VVicham sued his Executors for dilapidations and recovered of them 1672. pound tenne shillingsâ— besides 1566. head of neate 386. Weathers 417. Ewes 3521. Lambes and 127. Swine all which stocke it seemeth belonged unto the Bishoppricke of VVinchester at that time William Wicham his next successor was a great Pluralist the yearely revenues of his spirituall promotionsâ— according as they were then rated in the Kings bookes beside his Bishoppricke amounting to 876. poundâ— thirteene shillings and foure pence besides these Ecclesiasticall preferments he held many temporall offices at the Secretariship the Keepership of the Privy Seale the Mastership of Wards the Treasurership of the Kings revenues in France and divers others Being consecrated Bishop of VVinchester in the yeare 1367. he was made soone after first Treasurer then Chancellor of England It seemes that he was a better Treasurer for himselfe than the King who though hee received hugh summes of money by the ransome of two Kings and spoile of divers large Countries abroad and by unusuall subsedyes and taxations at home much grudged at by the Commons was yet so bare as for the payment of his debts he was constrained to find new devices to raise mony whereupon a solemne complaint was framed against this Bishop for vainely wasting or falsely imbezelling the Kings
and Nudigate three Monkes of the Charterhouse a Priest neare Winsor the Abbots of Ierney and Rivers Freer Forrest Crofts and Collines Priests Thomas Epsara Monke five Priests of Yorkeshire and Robert Bockham John Tomson Roger Barret John Wolcocke William Alse James Morton John Barrow Richard Bruneâ— Priests chiefe stirrers in the Devonshire rebellionsâ— and principall doers therein and one Welch a Priest Vicar of St. Thomas neare Exbridge hanged on the Tower there in his Priests apparell with a holy-water bucket and sacring Bell a paire of Bedes and such other Popish Trinkets about him for his rebellion were all executedâ— This Bishop imploed by King Henry the eight with Sir Henry Knevet as his Embassador at the Diâ—t at Ratisbond he held private intelligence and received and sent letters under hand to the Pope whose authority the King had utterly abolished and had then mortall enmity with for which false and trayâ—erly practise of which the King had certaine intelligence he caused in all Pardon 's afterwards all Treasons committed beyond the seas to be excepted which was most meant for the Bishops cause whom he exempted out of his Testament as being willfull and contentious and one that would trouble them all and exempted also out of his said Testament the Bishop of Westminsâ—er for that he was Schooled in Winchesters Schoole whom this King before his death was certainely beleeved to abhorre more than any English man in his Realme He was found to be the secret workerâ— that three yeares before the Kings death divers of the Privy Chamber were indited of heresie for the which the said King was much offended Anno. 1548. he was committed Prisoner to the Fleet and after to the Tower for a Sermon preached before King Edward and disobeying the Kings Injunctions when he had there continued two yeares and an halfe he was by authority deprived of his Bishoppricke and sent to prison againe where he continued till Queene Maries time when hee was not onely restored unto his Bishoppricke but likewise made Lord Chancellor of England For the extreame malice he bare to our Religion he not onely cruelly burnt many poore men but likewise wrought all the meanes his cunning head could devise to make away our late famous Quueene Elizabeth saying often it was in vaine to strike off a few leaves or branches when the roote remained he not onely caused this innocent Princesse to be imprisoned and barbarously handled both in the Tower and after at Woodstocke being the Queenes owne Sister and heire apparent to to the Crowne procuring to her so great vexation by his rigorous usage that she wished her selfe borne a Milkemaide but proceeded so farre in his treacherous plots against her that in all probabilities his cursed policy must have prevailed had not God moved the heart of Queene Mary her Sister with a very kinde and naturall affection towards her and in mercy taken him the more speedily out of the way by death till which time she had no securitie release or hope of life The whole Story of his treachery and Gods mercy towards this blessed Queene is at large related by Master Foxe He was a bitter opposite and enemy to Cranmer Ridley and Latimer refusing to eate his dinner that day the two last of them were burnt at Oxford before hee heard from thence of their death He was the bane of Queene Anne the Lady Anne of Cleave the Lord Cromwell Dr. Barnes and others And though in King Henries dayes he proved Queene Mary a Bastard and the Bishop of Rome to be an usurper yet afterwards when Queene Mary came to the Crowne he was her chiefest instrument the forwardest man to advance the Popes Supremacy and the sorest Persecutor Anno. 1554. On the Cunduit in Gracious streete King Henry the eight was painted in harnesse having in one hand a sword and in the other hand a Booke whereon was written Verbum Dei delivering the same as it were to King Edward his Sonne who was painted in a corner by him hereupon was no small matter made for Stephen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester sent for the Painter and not onely called him Knave for painting a Booke in King Henrâ—es hand and specially for writing thereon Verbum Dei but also Traytor and villaine commanding him to wipe out the Booke and Verbum Dei too Whereupon the Painter fearing that he should leave some part of the Booke or of Verbum Dei in King Henries hand wiped away a peece of his finger withall England had great cause to blesse God for his death which happened so opportunity not so much for the great hurt he had done in times past in perverting his Princesse bringing in â—ixe Articles in murthering Gods Saints in defacing Christs sincere Religion as especially for that hee had thought to have brought to passe in murthering also Queene Elizâ—beth for whatsoever danger of death it was shee was in it did no doubt proceede from this Bloody Bishop who was the cause thereof and if it be certaine which we heard that her Highnesse being in the Tower a writ came downe from certaine of the Counsell for her execution it is out of controverâ—ie that wily Winchester was the onely Dedalus and framer of that Engin. He was an enemy to this Queene and with divers of the Lordsâ— strictly examined her at the Tower And when shee recovered from her dangerous sicknesse he and other Bishops repined looked blacked in the mouth and told this Queene they marvelled that she submitted not her selfe to her Majesties mercy considering that she had offended her highnesse Winchester after talking with her perswaded her to submit her selfe which she refusing he replied that she must tell another tale ere that she should he set at liberty least she should have advantage against him for her long and wrong imprisonment more English blood by his meanes was spilled in Queene Maries time by hanging heading burning and prisoning than ever was in any Kings raigne before her This treacherous Prelate who called King Edward his Soveraigne usurper being hated of God and all good men had a miserable death sutable to his life for the old Duke of Norfolke comming so visite him the same day that Ridly Latimer were burnt at Oxford the Bishop would not sit downe to dinner till one of his servants about foure of the clocke comming post from Oxford brought most certaine intelligence that fire was set to these Martyrs whereupon comming out rejoycing to the Duke Now saith he let us goe to Dinner They being set down meate immediatly was brought and the Bishop began merrily to eate but what followed The bloody Tyrant had not eaten a few bits but the sudden stroke of Gods terrible hand fell upon him in such sort as immediatly hee was taken from the Table and so brought to his bed where he continued the space of fifteene dayes in such intollerable anguish torments within rotting even above ground that all that while
and Lincolne both detained Prisoners affirming that it was a miserable wickednesse that the king was so farre seduced by incendiaries that he should command hands to be layd on his owne people especially on his Bishops in the peace of his Court That a Celestiall injury was hereby added to the kings dishonour that under pretence of the defaults of the Bishops Churches should be spoyled of their possessions That the kings excesse against the Law of God did so farre grieve him that he would rather suffer much losse both in his body and estate than the Episcopall celsitude should be cast downe with so great indignity that he ofâ— admonishedâ— the king to amend this same who even then refused not the calling of the Councell that therefore the Arch-bishop and the rest should consult together what was needfull to be done and hee would not be wanting to the execution of their advise neither for love of the king who was his brother nor for the losse of his possessions no nor yet for the perill of his head The King not distrusting his cause sent some Earles unto the Councell demaunding why he was summoned thither The Legate answered them in briefe that he who remembred that he had subjected himselfe to the faith of Christ ought not to be angry if he were called by Christs Ministers to make satisfaction being conscious of so great guilt as these ages had never seene For it was the act of secular Gentiles to imprison Bishops and strip them of their possessions Therefore they should tell his Brother that if he would give a willing assent to his Councell he would by Gods direction give him â—uch as neither the Church of Rome nor the Court of the king of France nor Count Theobald brother to them both should contradict but ought favourably to embrace that the king for the present should doe advisedly if either he would give an account of his fact or undergoe the judgement of the Canons for he ought of duty to favour the Church by reception into whose bosome and not by a â—and of Souldiers he was promoted to the kingdome Whereupon the Earles departing returned not long afâ—er wâ—th Albin Deâ—er an experienced Lawyer Who pleaded that Roger the Bishop had many wayes inâ—ured king Stephen that he came very seldome to his Court thaâ— his men presuming on his power had raised seditions that as often in other places so of late at Oxford they had made assaults on men and that upon Earle Alans owne Nephew and upon the Servants of Henry de Lyons a man of so great Nobility so haughty a brow that he would never upon king Henries request condescend to come into England That this injury redounded to king Stephen for whose loves sake hâ—e came that so great violence was offered to him that the Bishop of Lincolne out of his inveterate hatred against Alan had by his Servants beene the Author of Sedition that the Bishop of Salisbury secretly favoured the kings enemies dissembling his double dealing in the interim till a fiâ— occasion that the king had undoubtedly discovered this by many things and by this especially that he would not suffer Roger Mortimer with the kings Souldiers which he led in great â—eare of the Bristow men so much as to stay one night at Malmesbury that it was in every mans mouth that as soone as ever the Empresse should arrive that he with his Nâ—phewes and Castles would revolt to her that Roger was thus taken not as a Bishop but as the Kings Servant who both administred his affaires and received his wages that the King had not taken away the Castles from them by violence but that both the Bishops thankefully rendered them that they might excuse the calumny of the tumult which they had raised in the Court that the King found some money in the Castles which were lawâ—ully his owne because the Bishop had collected it out of the Rents of the Royall Exchequer in the time of King Henry his Uncle and antecessor that the Bishop for feare of his offences against the King willingly parted from them as he did from his Castles of which â—he King wanted not witnesses that therefore he desired the agreements betweene him and the Bishops should remaine firme Roger on the other side alleaged that he was never a Servant to the King nor received his wages moreover some threatnings were uttered by this generous Prelate who scorned to be dejected with mis-fortunes that if he found not justice in that Councell for the things taken from him that he would complaine thereof in the audience of a greater Court. The Legate answered mildlyâ— That they ought first to inquire as of other things so of all things which are spoken against Bishops in an Ecclesiasticall Councell by way of accusation whether they be true or not rather then to pronounce sentence against men uncondemned contrary to the decrees of the Canons let the King therefore doe that is lawfull to be done in secular judgements revest the Bishop of the things taken away by the Law of the Nations disseised men shall not plead Many things being spoken on both sides after this manner the cause at the Kings request was deferred 3. dayes longer till the Archbishop of Rhoan came Who sayd he granted that Bishops might have Castles if they could prove by the Canons that by law they ought to have them Which because they could not that it was extreame dishonesty to contend against the Canons And grant saith he that they may enjoy them yet verily because it is a suspitious time all the great men according to the custome of other Nations ought to deliver up the Keyes of their Fortresses to the Kings pleasure who ought to wage warre for the peace of all men Thus all the controversie of the Bishops was weakned For either according to the Decrees of the Canons it is unjust they should have Castles or if this be tolerated by the Kings indulgence they ought to yeeld up the keyes tâ— the necessity of the time To this Albric the Kings Lawyer added that the King was informed that the Bishops threatned among themselves and provided to send some of them to Rome against him And this saith he the King commendeth to you that none of you presume to doe it for if any one against his will and the dignity of the Kingdome of England shall goe any where from England peradventure his returne shal be difficult Moreover he because he seeth himselfe grieved of his own accord appeales you to Rome After the King partly by commending partly by way of threatning had commanded these things it was understood whither it tendedâ— Wherefore they so departed that neither he would suffer the censure of the Canons nor be judged by them neither did the Bishops thinke fit to exercise it and that for a double reason Either because it would be temerarious to excommunicate the King without the Popes privity Or else because they heard and some also
he fell into out of griefe of minde This Prelate was so high in king Henries favour that he denyed little or nothing to him that he demanded he gave him Lands Churches Prebends of Clarkes whole Abbies of Monkes and committed the kingdome to his trust making him Chancellor of England Roger therefore pleaded causes he moderated expences he kept the kings treasure and that without a companion and witnesse both while the king was present in England and absent in Normandy and not onely by the king but likewise by the Nobles and even by those who secretly envied his felicity and especially by the kings Servants and debtoâ—s all things almost that he could thinke of were conferred on him if any thing was contiguous to his possessions which might conduce to his utility that he either begged or bought if not he extorted it by violence he alone was in greatest honour abounding in wealth pompe â—riends authority stately houses and Castles and seemed the onely happy man on earth Yet at last in a moment fortune cruelly stung him with her Scorpions tayle so as he saw many of his friends wounded and his most familiar Souldiers beheaded before his face himselfe captivated two of his Nephewes most potent Prelates to be put to flight and taken prisoners and a third a young man whom he most loved to bee bound in chaines his Castles to be rendred up his treasures spoyled himself afterwards in a Councell torne with most foule reproaches the residue of his money and plate which he had layd upon the Altar to finish a Church to beâ— carried away against his will and which is the extremity of calamity Cum multis miser videreturâ— paucissimis miserabilis erat So much envy hatred had he contracted out of his over great power and that undeservedly with some whom he had advanced to honours So Malmesbury writes of him of whom you have heard sufficient Anno Dom. 1223. Huberâ— de Burgo Earle of Kent being taken and proclaimed a traytor escaped out of the Castle of Veâ—â— or Devises and tooke sanctuary in the next Church those who kept the Castle hearing of it sent and tooke him with those that helped him to make his escape out of the Church and imprisoned him againe in the Castle Robert Bingham the Bishop of Salisbury hereupon came to the Castle and threatned to curse them if they would not deliver the Earle restore him to sanctury againe They made answer they had rather the Earle should hang for them than they for him and so because they would not deliver him the Bishop excommunicated them and after riding to the Courâ— and taking with him the Bishop of London and other Bishops prevailed so much by complaint to the King that the Earle though a traytor was restored to the Church againe but so as the Sheriffe of the Shire had commandement to compasse the Church about with men to watch that no reliefe came unto him whereby he might bee constrained through famishment to submit himselfe but hee shortly armed was there rescued by a power of armed men who conveyed him armed and oâ— horsebacke into Wales where he joyned with other of King Henry the thirds enemies And all through the pride and practise of this Prelate to whose pretended jurisdiction even in case of Treason the King himselfe must submit William of Yorke the ninth Bishop of Salisbury about the year 1247. was a Courtier from his childhood and better seene the in Lawes of the Realme which hee chiefly studied than in the Law of God a great deale Matthew Paris reporteth that he firâ—â— brought in the custome that tenants should be suiters unto the Courts of their Landlords This Matthew Paris stiles a very bad custome in magnum subditorum damnum detrimentum superiorum parvum vel nullum emolumentum unde qui nunquam hoc fecerant mirabantur se ad hoc fuisse coactos And speaking of this Bishops death he saith This Bishop passed from these worldly cares and imployments to the dangers which secular men and Courtiers are beleeved to undergoe for their workes follow them Anno 1392. King Richard the second picked a quarrell against the Major and Sheriffes of London upon this occasion Walter Romay one of Iohn Walthams servants then Bishop of Salisbury and high Treasurer of England tooke a horseloafe from a Bakers man as hee passed by in Fleetstreet and would not deliver it againe but broke the bakers mans head when he was earnest to recover his loafe the cohabitants of the streete hereupon rose and would have had the Bishops man to prison for breaking the Kings peace but hee was rescued by his fellowes and escaped to the Bishops house in an Allie close by The people set in a rage for this rescue gathered in great multitudes about the Bishops Palace gate and would have fetched out the offender by force assaulting the house to breake it open but the Major and Sheriffes comming thither after some perswasions used appeased the people who retired quietly to their houses The Bishop being then at Windsor where the Court lay being informed of this riot tooke such indignation therewith that taking with him Thomas Arundell Archbishop of Yorke then Lord Chancellor of England he went to the King and made an hainous complaint against the Citizens for their misdemeanour whereupon the Major Sheriffes and great sort more of the Citizens were sent for to the Court and charged with divers misdemeanors notwithstanding their excuses they were all arrested and imprisoned the Major in the Castle of Windsor the rest in other places to be safely kept till the King by the advice of his Counsell should further determine what should be done with them Moreover the liberties of the City were seised into the Kings hands the authority of the Major utterly ceased and the King appointed Sir Edward Darlingrug to governe the City by the name of Lord Warding and to see that every man had justice ministred as the case required who because hee was thought to be overfavourable to the Citizens was removed and Sir Baldwin Radington put in his roome At length the King through suit and instant labour of certaine Noblemen especially of the Duke of Glocester began somewhat to relent and pacifie his rigorous displeasures against the Londoners and releasing them out of prison and confirming some of their priviledges and abrogating others hee was at last reconciled to them after they had purchased his pardon with many rich presents to him and his Queene whom they royally intertained and the payment of ten thousand pounds which they were compelled to give the King to collect of the Commons of the City not without great offence and grudging in their minds And aâ—l this came through the pride and malice of this Prelate of Salisbuâ—y whose servant had occasioned this riot and yet went Scotfree when the innocent Major and Citizens were thus rigorously dealt withall M. Fox observes truly
that this unjust oppression of the Londoners was a great preparative to King Richards deposing and lost him the hearts of his true subjects This proud Prelate when hee died by King Richards appointment had the honour to have his body interred among the Kings at Westminster Richard Milford B. of this Diocesse about the yeare 1388. was by an order of the Barons made in Parliament imprisoned a long time in the Castle of Bristoll as a pernicious whisperer flatterer evill counseller and Traytor to King Richard the second and the State yet afterwards being inlarged he was advanced by this King continued one of his evill counsellors and instruments William Ayscoth Bishop of Salisbury Confessor to King Henry the 6. by his oppressions and ill dealings so farre discontented his Tenants â—nd the people that in the yeare 1450. Iune 29. when that notable Rebell Iack Cade was set up against his Soveraigne some tenants of the Bishops and others came to Edendon where hee was then saying Masse drew him from the Altar in his Albe with his stole about his necke to the top of an hill not farre off and there as hee kneeled on his knees praying they cleft his head spoyled him to the skinne and renting his bloody shirt into a number of peeces tooke every man a ragge to keepe it for a monument of their worthy exploit A barbarous murther yet occasioned by his owne ill carriage violence oppressions and for consenting to the giving up of the Dutchy of Anjou and Mayne into the hands of the French King as some report since this mans murther I find little or nothing recorded of any Bishops of this See Wherefore I shall now steare my course towards Lincolne Diocesse Lincolne ANNO 573. Aldred Bishop of Leicester afterwards translated to Lincolne was deprived of his Bishopricke for his seditious misdemeanors it is very like hee sided with the cruell Pagan Danes though his crimes be not expressed in particular Eadnoth Bishop of this See turned warriour and was slaine by the Danes in battle in the yeare 1016â— Vlfe a man very learned in the yeare 1052. together with Robert Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and William Bishop of London who had given King Edward the Confessor wicked counsell against the English were banished into Normandy their native Country for this offence vix evadentes hardly escaping with their lives they having beene instruments to cause the King to infringe his good Lawes and not to administer right iustice which he promised to reforme upon these Prelates dimission who miscounselled him This Bishop among the rest going to the Councell of Vercels to complaine to the Pope of his wrongfull banishment so farre forth bewrayed his owne weakenesse and insufficiency as the Pope was determined to have displaced him from his Bishopricke untill with gifts and golden eloquence he perswaded him to winke at his imperfections Alexander Bishop of Lincolne Anno 1070. opposed William the Conquerour who appointed how many souldiers every Bishopricke and Abby that held of him by Barony should finde in time of warre from which they were formerly freed hereupon he and Stigand Arch-Bishop of Canterbury fled into Scotland where they kept themselves close for a time being banished by the Conqueror and at last ioyned with the Scots against him Egelwin Bishop of Durham being an exile at the same time having onely the zeale of God excommunicated all the invaders of the Church and ravishers of Ecclesiasticall things This Alexander is omitted by Godwin in his Catalogue of the Bishops of this see and it seemes hee was deprived among other Bishops in the Councel of Winchester Anno 1070. for opposing the Conquerour Remigius who translated his see from Dorchester to Lincolne and built the Cathedrall there to whose consecration by the Kings command all the Bishops of England were summoned himselfe dying two dayes before the time appointed for its consecration was impeached of high treason against King William Rufus but his servant purging his master by the iudgement of an hot iron or Ordalium then in use restored him to the Kings favour and wiped off this blot to his pontificall honour as Huntindon writes He was preferred first to this Bishopricke by William the Conquerour for divers good services done unto him for which he long before promised him a Bishopricke in England The consideration of this gift comming to the Popes eare he would needs adiudge it Simony and as a symonist actually deprived him of his Bishopricke but at the request of Lanfranke Arch-bishop of Canterbury hee restored him to his Ring and Crosier againe The Arch-bishop of Yorke labored to hinder the translation of his See to Lincoln laying challenge to the iurisdiction of that County as antiently belonging to his Archbishoprick wherupon the Bishop was forced to crave in aid of the King to make good the Title and his successor Robert Bloet was glad to give William Rufus 5000 pound to cleare the Title that the Arch-bishop of Yorke layd unto the iurisdiction of this See and County which was reputed Symony in the King but iustice in the Bishop Alexander nephew to Roger the great rich Bishop of Salisbury consecrated Bishop of Lincolne Iuly 22. An. 1123. placed his chiefe delight in building of Castles wherein hee imitated his unkle Roger hereupon hee built a stately Castle at Banbury another at Newarke a third at Sleford which saith Nubrigensis did ill beseem a Bishops honesty much lesse his function These Castles were such eye-sores to King Stephen as they provoked him to picke a quarrell with the Bishop to clap him up in prison together with his uncle Roger of Salisbury and to bereave them at once both of their munition and treasure of which they had heaped up great store For King Stephen fearing that this great rich Prelate and his uncle of Salisbury who had built two strong Castles the one at Salisbury the other at the Devises would side with Maud the Empresse against him sends for both these Bishops and demands those Castles of them which they refusing to deliver up to his possession the King thereupon claps them up in prison besiegeth their Castles which their Creatures held out and kept by force against him til at the last with much a do he possessed himselfe of them in such manner as is before more largely related in the story of Roger of Salisbury The King not long after releasing this Bishop he and some others secretly conspired against him procured Maud the Empresse to come over with an army with whom he joyned And by this and the other confederates assistance Stephen was afterwards taken prisoner deprived of his Crowne in a Synod at Winchâ—ster Maud received and acknowledged as Queene by the Prelates and Kingdome till Stephen being againe released by the Bishops practises and putting Maud to the worst after many battels and great effusion of English Christian Blood occasioned onely by the
of Scots were met there with an infinite company of Nobility of both Realmes The two Kings for the great reverence they bare to his holinesse who yet gave no â—everence at all to Kings as you have formerly heard would needs set their shoulders to the beare and helped to carry his course from the gates of the City untill it came to the Church doore where the Prelates themselves received and carried it into the Quire and buâ—yed him in the body of the East end of the Church ABOVE THE HIGH ALTAR which therefore stood not close to the East wall in those times but some good distance from it neere the Altar of Saint Iohn Hugh Walis or de Wils his next successour in this See but one Anno 1209. notwithstanding King Iohn refused to receive Stephen Langhton that arch-traytor for Archbishop of Canterbury and commanded this Bishop to repaire to the Archbishop of Rhoan for consecration from him and not to receive it from Langhton in contempt of this his Soveraignes command got him to Langhton and received consecration from him whereupon the King seised on all his temporalties and kept him fasting from them foure yeeres and then restored them After this he joyned both with the Barons and Lewis the French King who came to conquer the Realme against his naturall Soveraigne For which treasons he was onely excommunicated by the Pope and not absolved till he had paid the Pope one thousand marks and a hundred markes to his Legate Divers other of our Prelates were fined for the same cause and that so deepely as they were compelled to sell all they had to purchase the Kings favour Anno Dom. 1252. King Henry the third in a Parliament held at London getting a grant from the Pope of the tenths due to the Church to be received of him for three yeeres towards the charges of his journey into the holy Land to rescue it from the Saracens demanded these tenths of the spiritualtie But the Bishops and especially Robert Grosâ—head Bishop of Linâ—olne utterly refused to be contributary to this grant They alledged sundry reasons for their excuse as the poverty of the English Church being already made bare with continuall exactions and oppressions but chiefly they excused themselves by the absence of the Archbishops of Canterbury and Yorke of whom the one was beyond the Sea and the other at home in the North parts All the other Bishops were there except Hereâ—ord and Chester who was sicke and therefore without the consent of those that were absent and namely their Primate of Canterbury they could not conclude any generall poynt touching the Kings demand And although the King fretted and stormed against them yet could he not bring them to his purpose so as the Parliament was for that time dissolved Yet before their departure from London the King communed with them apart to see if he could get some money towards his charges but they had tuned their strings all after one notâ— discording all from his Tenor so that not a penny could be got of them wherefore he tooke high displeasure against them reviling them in most reproachfull manneâ— and amongst other he reviled his halfe brother the elect of Winchester taxing him of great unthankfulnesse who also among the residue stood against him Anno 1257. they denyed the King a Subsidie againe there being saith Holinshed a great untoward disposition in the Subjects of that time for the helping of their King with a necessary ayd of money towards such great charges as he had bin by divers wayes occasioned to be at Befoâ—e this Anno 1250. this Bishop excommunicated a Priest for incontinency who continuing for some daies without seeking to be reconciled the Bishop sent to the Sheriffe of Rutland within whose Bayliwicke the Priest dwelt to apprehend him as a disodient and rebellious person who not executing the Bishops commandement the Bishop thereupon excommunicates the Sheriffe whereof the King being informed tooke displeasure and sending to the Pope procured an inhibition that no Archbishop or Bishop should compell any Officer of the King to follow any suit before them for those things that appertaine to the Kings jurisdiction or give sentence against them for the same This Grosthead Bishop of Lincolne Anno 1246. upon the suggestion of the Friers Predicants and Minorites raged more then was meet or expedient against those of his Dâ—ocesse making strict inquisition in his Bishopricke by his Archdeacons and Deanes concerning the chastity and manners as well of Noble as ignoble upon oath to the enormious hurt and scandall of the reputations of many Which had never beene accustomed to be done before The King hearing the grievous complaints of his people against these Innovations did thereupon by the advice of his Counsell and Courts of Justice send a Writ to the Sheriffe of Hertford in these words Henry by the grace of God King of England c. We command thee that as thou lovest thy selfe and all things that are thine that thou from henceforth suffer not any Laymen of â—hy Baylywicke to assemble together in any place at the will of the Bishop of Lincolne or of his Archdeacons Officials or rurall Deanes to make any acknowledgments or attestations upon their oath unlesse in cases of Matrimony and testament And the very next yeere following in pursurance thereof the King by Parliament enacted and commanded these things ensuing to be inviolably observed That if any Lay men were convented before an Ecclesiasticall Iudge for breach of faith and perjury that they shouâ—d be prohibited by the King And that the Ecclesiasticall Iudge should be prohibited to hold plea of all causes against Laymen unlesse they were of Matrimony and Testament All which Matthew Paris precisely relates Which prohibition and statute nullified the constitution of Oâ—ho and hindered this Bishops innovation whereupon that insolent traytorly Martiall Archbishop of Canterbury Boniface better skilled in affaires of a Campe then of the Church Anno 1256. but nine yeeres after this prohibition and forenamed statute published this peremptory audacious constitution in affront of them both Statuimus quod Laici ubi de subditorum pecâ—â—tis excessibus corrigendis per Praelatos Ecclesiasticos judices inquiritur ad praestandum de veritate dicenda juramentum per excommunicationis sententias si opus fuâ—rit compellantur impedientes verò ne hujusmodi juramentum praestetur for the Judges with many otheâ—s then generally oppugned and hindred the ushering in of this Innovation per interdicti excommunicationis sententiam arceantâ—â— To evacuate which exorbitant illegall constitution meant onely of witnesses not of Churchwardens Sidemen or Stangers oathes as the Glosse of Lindwood who records it resolves in expresse termes trenching both upon the peoples liberties and the Courts of Justice too the Judges frequently granted out sundry
King Iohn and at last was glad to flie the Realme with other Prelates the King seising on his and their goods and banishing him the Kingdome Peter de Egueblancke the 42. Bishop of that See Cujus Memoria sulphureum faetorem exhalat ac deterrimum writes Matthew Paris An. 1255. put King Henry the 3. upon a strange and intolerable kinde of exaction such and so great as even beggered all the Clergie of that time he got certaine authenticke seales of the Bishops of England wherwith he sealed Indentures Instruments and Writings wherin was expressed that he had received divers summes of money for dispatch of businesses for them and their Churches of this or that Marchant of Florence or Spaine whereby they stood bound for payment thereof by the same Instruments and Writings so made by him their agent in their name This shift was devised by the said Bishop with license of the King and Pope into whose eares he distilled this poysonous councell the maner whereof Matthew Paris relates at large These debts being afterwards demanded the Prelates denied them to be true and said there was a greater occasion for them to suffer Martyrdome in this cause than of that of Thomas Becket of Canterbury whereupon the Bishops of London and Worceter protested they would rather lose their lives and Bishopprickes than consent to such an injury servitude and oppression Haec alta detestabilia à sulphurto fonte Romanae Ecclesiae proh pudor imo proh dolor tunc temporis emanarunt Writes Matthew Paris of this and such like cheating projects to get mony An. 1263. the Barons arrested this Bishop who plotted much mischiefe against them in his owne Cathedrall Church seised upon his goods devided his Treasure unto their souldiers before his face imprisoned him a long time in the Castle of Ordley as a meere pest and Traytor both to Church and State He was accursed of so many for his strange Oppressions Treacheriesâ— and Extravagances that it was impossible many calamities should not light upon him Long before his captivity his face was horribly deformed with a kind of Leprosie Morphea or Polypus which could by no meanes be cured till his dying day this disease made him hide his head so that none within his Diocesse knew where he lurked Some reported that he went to Mount Pessula to be cured of this his infirmity Tot in caput suum congessit imprecationes multipliciter à Doraino meruit flagellari ad sui ut sperandum est correctionem Writes Matthew Paris who further addes Episcopus Herefordensis turpissimo morbo videliceâ— Morphea Domino percutiente merito deâ—ormatur qui totum Regnum Angliae PRODITIOSE damnificauit About the yeare of our Lord 1256. the Archbishop of Burdeaux being old and decrepit began to be deadly sicke and being thought to be dead who was but halfe alive this Bishop of Hereford who most earnestly gaped after this Archbishoppricke thinking to obtaine itâ— procured the Kings Letters who was very favourable to him because hee was his Tax-gatherer and went with them beyond the Seas but when the truth appeared that the Archbiâ—hop was still aliveâ— hee lost both his journey labour travell and expenses and received many scoffes as one Mr. Lambin did in the like case of whom these two Verses were composed Aere dato multo nondum pastore sepultâ— Lambiâ— ad optatum Lambinus Pontificatura He to reimburse his expences not regarding the publike good but his owne privaâ—e benefit by license from the King and Pope collected a tith for himselfe in the borders of Irelandâ— and the places adjoyning which amounted to no small quantitie of money this he reputed the price of his paines and the reward of his treason and he caused it to be so strictly exactedâ— that shame prohibites the relation of the manner of the extortion And because fraud is not accustomed to want feare meticulosus armatus armatus vallatus incessit being fearefull he went armed and being armed hee went with a guard about him Adara de Orleton the 46. Bishop of Hereford was a notable wicked Traytor and Rebell against his Soveraigne King Edward the second who advanced him and was the chiefe cause both of his deprivation and murther Of whom you may read more at large in Winchester p. 265.266 Iohn Bruton or Briton was the 43. Bishop of Hereford on him the King bestowed the keeping of his wardrobes which he held long time with great honour as his Regester saith A wonderfull preferment that Bishops should be preferred from the Pulpit to the custody of Wardrobesâ— but such was the time neverthelesse his humble custody of that charge is more solemnely remembred then any good Sermon that ever he made which function peradventure hee committed to his Suffragane sith Bishops in those dayes had so much businesse at Court that they could not attend to Doctrine and Exhortation This Bishop was Doctor of both Lawes and very well seene in the common Lawes of the Land and writ a great volume De juribus Anglicanis yet extant but that he ever Preached or writ any thing of or had any skill at all in the Law of God I finde nothing at all in story Iohn Trevenant the 51. Bishop of Hereford sided with King Henry the 4th against Richard the second who advanced him and was sent to Rome to informe the Pope what good Title King Henry the 4th had unto the Crowne of England which he usurped So the Bishop of Duresme was then sent unto France the Bishop of Saint Asaph to Spaine the Bishop of Bangor to Germany armed with all â—orts of instructions for the justification of their new advanced King his Title too and usurpation of the Crowne So ready have Prelates beene not onely to act but to justifie defendâ— and boulster out Treasons and Rebellions of the highest nature with the depositions and murthers of their lawfull Princesâ— Anno. 1499. this Bishop of Hereford had a chiefe hand in deposing King Richard the second and was the second commissioner sent from the States in Parliament named in the Instrument wherein they declare his voluntary resignation and he with the Archbishop of Yorke made report to the Parliamentâ— of the Kings voluntary resignation of his Crowne and Kingdome the instrument whereof subscribed in their presence was delivered unto Thomas Arundels hands then Archbishop of Canterbury an Arch-traytor as I have formerly manifested The most of the succeeding Bishops of this See were translated to other bishopprickes where you may meete with them who were most obnoxious onely I observe that in the generall pardon of 22. H. 8. c. 15. the Bishop of Hereford then Charles Booth is specially excepted out of the pardon of the Premunire It seemes his crime was very great And for the present Bishop of Hereford George Cooke he stands now impeached by the Commons in Parliament for the late Canons Oath and benevolence in the pretended Synod
led him unto the Kings Seat the Archbishop of Yorke assisting him and with great reverence set him therein When he was thus placed in his Throne the Archâ— of Canturbury began a briefe Collation taking for his Theame these words written in the first Booke of Kings the ninth Chapter Vir dominabitur in pâ—pulo c. handling the same and the whole tenour of his tale to the praise of the King Thus was this King deprived by the Bishops meanes who were chiefe actors in deposing him and setting up King Henry yet some of them especially Yorke were the authors of that evill counsell which was the cause of his deprivation And no wonder since in his reigne as Holinshed writes such were preferred to Bishopricks and other Ecclesiasticall livings as neither did nor could teach nor preach nor know any thing of the Scripture of God but onely to call for their tythes and duties so as they were most unworthy of the name of Bishops being lewd and most vaine persons disguised in Bishops apparrell Furthermore there reigned abundantly the filthy sinne of Lecheâ—y and Fornication with abominable adultery in the King but chiefly in the Prelacy whereby the whole Realme by such their evill example was so infected that the wrath of God was daily provoked to vengeance for the sinnes of the Prince and people and tooke so sharpe an edge that it shred the King off from the Scepter of his Kingdome and gave him a full cup of affliction to drinke After which this Bishop was sent Ambassador into Spaine to shew the King the rightfulnesse of Henry the fourth his Tiâ—le to the Crown of England and soone after his returne thence Anno 1404. as Thâ—mas Walsingâ—am reports perceiving Owen Glendor that Welch Râ—bell to prosper in his waâ—res against King Heâ—ry the fourth Conversus est in virum pravum factus transfuga ad Owenum hee turned a lewd Traytour and Rebell flying away from the King to Owen What became of him upon Owens defeate I find not Thus this Bâ—shop was a Traytor and Rebell to two severall Kings and which was worst of all to him whose title he thus tooke upon him publikely to defend but a little before Such faith and loyalty is there in lordly Prelates I shall not trouble you any more with our Welch Bishops only let me acquaint you for a farewell that the present Bishops of Asaph Bangor and Landaffe are now complained against in Parliament and impeached by the Commons House for the late Canons Oath malevoleâ—t benevolence and other crimes for which I suppose they will ere long receive their doome The Bishops of Bath and Wels. GISO the fifteenth Bishop of Bath and Wels had many conflicts with Harold before and after hee came to the Crowne so that he was forced to fly the Land all his time Ioseline the one and twentieth Bishop of this See joyned with Stephen Langhton that Arch-rebell against King Iohn and had an hand in interdicting the Realme and excommunicating the King for which he was glad to fly the Land for five yeares the King seizing upon his goods and temporalties whereupon the Monkes and Prelates raised many vile reports of the King which you may reade in Matth. Westminster Robert Stillington the nine and thirtieth Bishop of Bath and Wells though highly advanced by Kâ—ng Edward the fourth sided with that Usurper Richard the third and was a man specially employed in his Coronation hee was a great enemy to King Henry the seventh being sent Embassador to the Duke of Brittaine for apprehending him whiles hee was Earle of Richmond Anno 1487. Hâ—e was accused of high Treason for yeelding assistance to Lambert the counterfeit Earle of Warwicke and some such other treacheries whereupon having a guilty conscience he fled to the Vniversity of Oxford hoping that the priviledges of the same might be some shelter and defence unto him whereof the King having advertisement sent one Edward Willoughby his Chaplaine to the Chancellor of the University to require the Bishop to bee delivered to his Officers as being one to whom the Priviledges of the University could not extend being at the time no Student there so farre at least as to protect him in a matter of Treason unto which no priviledge ought to yeeld any patrociny After two or three refusals at last by the connivence and permission of the Chancellour hee was there arrested and committed prisoner to the Castle of Windsor where hee lay prisoner foure yeares space till his decease 1491. Hadrian de Castello the two and fortieth Bishop of this See though he conspired not against the King yet being at Rome and there made a Cardinall he entred into a conspiracy with Cardinal Alfonso Petruccio and others to murther Pope Leo the tenth out of an ambitious conceit that surely he should be elected Pope iâ— Leo were once dead a Witch having foretold him that a certaine old man named Adrian borne of meane parentage as hee was should be advanced to the Papacy This conspiracy comming to the Popes eares Petruccio was thereupon apprehended and executed The Pope comming into the Consistory promised pardon to all the other Cardinalls who should then and there immediately confesse their faults Hadrian hereupon and some other falling downe on their knees before him acknowledged what they had done and humbly besought him of mercy He promised to bee as good as his word Howbeit Hadrianâ—earing â—earing the worst shortly after stole secretly away and was neither seene or heard of ever afterward and thereupon deprived of his Biâ—hopricke William Barlow the six and fortieth Bishop of Bath and Wells incurred a Praemunire for presuming to visite the Deane and Chapâ—er of Wells being a Donative for which he was glad to buy his peace as appeares by Brooke Praemunire Sect. 21. Guilbert Bourne the seven and fortieth Bishop of Bath and Wells in the first yeare of Queene Elizabeth was deprived of his Bishoprick for refusing to subscribe and take the Oath of Alleageance and then committed to the custody of Master Cary Deane of the Queenes Chappell The Bishops since his time I shall pretermit for brevity and descend to William Pierce the present Bishop of this Diocesse This man having been Vicechancellor in the University of Oxford wherein hee was over-busie and turbulent in persecuting good men and in causing Pareus his Commentary on the Romans to be publikely burnt in an ignominious manner was for his good service made Bishop of Peterborough and from thence translated to Bath and Wells where his tyranny oppression impiety and practises have been so excessive that the whole County of Somerset with sundry particular persons both Ministers and people there weary of his insupportable government and vexatious oppressions have exhibited divers Petitions against him to the high Court of Parliament now assembled upon the full hearing whereof before a speciall Committee for that purpose the Committees have drawn up this following
might not very easily have borne Iudge you therefore what manner of imprisonment your Master deserved at my hands that procured such ease for me at the Emperours hands These two Chaplaines had their mouthes stopped with these words thus by the King uttered and so departed their wayes The Bishop being still detained in Prison procured suite to be made to the Pope for his deliverance writing a Letter to the Pope against the King for this hard usage recorded by Hoveden whereupon the Pope writ a Letter to the King in his behalfe to importune his release But the Pope being truely informed of the matter and wisely considering that the King had not taken the Bishop Preaching but fighting and kept him prisoner rather as a rough enemy then as a peaceable Prelate would not be earnest with the King for his deliverance but rather reproved the Bishop In that hee had preferred secular warfare before the spirituall and had taken upon him the use of a Speare insteed of a Crosier an Helmet insteed of a Miter an Herbergean instead of a white Rocket a Targeâ— for a Stoale and an iron Sword in lieu of the spirituall Sword and therefore he reâ—used to use any Commandment to King Ricâ—ard for the setting oâ— him at Liberty But yet he promised to doe what he could by way of intreating that he might be released It is reported by some Writers that the Pope at first not understanding the truth of the whole circumstance should send to King Richard commanding him by force of the Canons of the Church to deliver his Sonnes the Bishop and Archdeacon out of their captivity To whom the King sent their Armour with this message written in Latine Vide an tunica filii tui siâ— an non that is See whether these are the garments of thy Sonnes or not alluding to the saying of those that carryed Iosephs coaâ—e to Iacob Which when the Pope saw he said Nay by Saint Peter it is neither the apparell of my Sonnes nor yet of my Brethren but rather they are the vestures of the children of Mars and so he left them still to be ransomed at the Kings pleasure The Bishop thus seeing no hope to be delivered without some agreement had betwixt the two Kings became now through irkesomnesse of his bonds an earnest mediator for peace whereas he had beene before an extreame stirrer up of warre Such a Schoolemaster is imprisonment and plucker downe of lofty courages But not prevailing he plots how to make an escape When Queene Elionorâ—ing â—ing Richards Mother came to Rhoane she sent for this Bishops keepâ—rs to permi the Bishop to câ—me to her lodging to spâ—ake with her which although it were dangerous yet they unwillâ—ng to resist the Queenes suiâ—e peâ—mitâ—ed him to goe out of the Towe gaâ—es feâ—â—eâ—ed with themselves accompanying him As they passed bâ— a Church the Bishop ran to the doore thâ—ugh 〈◊〉 as well as he couâ—d and laying hold on the Ring of the Churâ—hâ— cryed out with a loud voâ—ce saying I demand the peace of God and the Church At which speech his Keepers much troubled laid hands on him pulâ—ed him from the Church doore and brought him backe agaâ—ne to the Tower where they kept him more stricktly then before Which â—he King hearing of sent him to Chine to be kept close Prisoner After this he offered King Richard 10000 markes for his enlargement which he refused But Kâ—ng Iohn comming to the Crown at the Popes request relâ—ased hâ—m â—or 2000. He taking a solemne Oath before the Cardinall and other Ecclesiastickes that he would never all his life after beare armes against Christians as he had causeâ— now noâ— to doe About the same time Walter Arch bishop of Roven at the instigation of the French King puâ— all the Country of Normandy under senâ—ence of inâ—erdiction because King Richard had begun to sort â—he a Caâ—â—le at Lisse Dandely upon a peece of ground which the Archbishop câ—aimâ—d to appertaine unto hiâ— See The Archbishop would â—y no meaneâ— release the interdict So as the bodies â—f dead men lay unbuâ—yed through all the Villages and streetes of tâ—e Câ—ties of Normandy Hereupon the King much troubled at the Aâ—chbâ—shops dealing whom he had advanced and much imployed sâ—nds â—o Rome to the Pope to heare the cause betweene them The matter being brought before the Pope he perceiving the intent of King Richard was not otherwise grounded upon anâ— covetous purpose to defraud the Church oâ— her right but oneâ—y to buâ—ld a fortresse in such place as was moâ—t expedient for defence of the Country about to preserve it from invasion of the enemies counselled the Archbishop noâ— to sâ—and against the King in it but to exchange with him for some other Lands which was done and the interdiction by the Pope released This Archbishop was a great warriour bore great sway in England during King Richards absence and captivity and troubled the Realme very much with taxes and warres Before I come to the Prelates of Scotland I shall insert one story of a Patriarch of Hierusalem who affronted our King Henry the second to his face in a shamefull manner The story is this Heraclius Patriarch of Ierusalem came into England in the thirtyeth yeare of King Henry the second and made busy request to him against the Saracens proffering him the keyes of Ierusalem and of our Lords grave with Letters of Pope Lucius the third charging him that he should take upon him the Kingdome of Ierusalem with the royall Standard of the Kingdome as due unto him and likewise make a royall voyage thither in proper person with an army for the security thereof and to have minde of the Oath that he before time had made The King deferred his answer and Baldwin the Arch bishop Preached and exhorted men to take the Crosse by whose meanes many there were that avowed that journey The King at last by the advise of his whole Councell and Parliament gave this answer that he might not leave his Land without keeping nor yet leave it to the prey and robbery of the French men but he would give largely of his owne to such as would take upon them that voyage With this answer Heraâ—lius was discontented and said we seeke a man and not money well neere every Christian Region sendeth to us money but no Land sendeth to us a Prince But the King laid for him such excuses that the Patriarch departed from him discontented and comfortlesse Whereof the King being advertised entending somewhat to recomfort hâ—m with pleasant words followed him to the Sea side But the more the King thought to satisfie him with his faire speech the more the Patriarch was discontented in so much that at last he said unto him Hitherto thou hast raigned gloriously but hereafter thou shalt be forsaken of him that thou at this time forsakest thinke on him what he hath given to thee and what thou hast yeelded to him againe How first thou wert false to
Oxford William Cliffe Geoffry Dowes Robert Oking Ralph Bradford Richard Smith Simon Mathew Iohn Pryn William Buckmaster William May Nicholas Wotton Richard Cox Iohn Edmunds Thomas Robertson Iohn Baker Thomas Barret Iohn Hase Iohn Tyson Doctors and Professors in Divinity and of the civill and Canon Law with the whole Convocation House and Clergy of Enland in their Booke intituled The Institution of a Christian man dedicated by them to King Henry the eight Printed Cum Privilegio subscribed with all their names and ratified by the Statute of 32. Henry the eight cap. 26. chap. Of the Sacrament of Order fol. 48. c. And King Henry 8. himselfe in his Booke inscribed A necessary erudition for any Christian man published with the advise and approbation of all the Prelates Clergy of England in their Convocation and of the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and nether House of Parliament with the Kings owne royall Epistle to all his loving Subjects before it Anno 1545. by vertue of the Satute of 32 Henry the eight c. 26. Chap. of the Sacrament of Order Doe all thus joyntly determine of the calling jurisdiction Lordlinesse and secular imployments of Bishops The truth is that in the New Testament there is no mention made of any degrees or distinctions in Orders but onely of Deacons and Ministers and of Priests or Bishopâ— And of these two Orders onely that is to say Priests and Deacons Scripture maketh expresse mention and how they were conferred of the Apostles by Prayer and imposition of their hands And to these two the Primitive Church did add and conjoyne certaine other inferior and lower degrees And as concerning the office and duty of the said Ecclesiasticall Ministers the same consisteth in true preaching and teaching the word of God unto the people iâ— dispensing and ministring the Sacraments of Christ in consecratingâ— and offering the blessed body and blood of Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar in loosing and assoyling from sinne such persons as be sorry and truely penitent for the same and excommunicating such as bâ— guilty in manifest crimes and will not be reformed otherwise and finally in praying for the whole Church of Christâ— and specially for the flocke committed unto them And although the office and ministry of Priests and Bishops stand câ—iefly in these things before rehearsed yeâ— neither they nor any of them may exercise and execute any of the same offices but with such sort and such limitation as the Ordinances and Lawes of every Christian Realme doe permit and â—uffer It is out of all doubt that there is no mention made neither in Scripture neither in the writings of any authentical Doctâ—r or Author of the Church being within the time of the â—postles that Christ did ever make or institute any distinction or difference to be in the preheminence of power order or jurisdiction between the Apostleâ— themselves or between the Bishops themselves but that they were all â—quall in power authorâ—ty and jurisdâ—ctâ—on And that there is now and since the time of the Apostles any such diversity or difference among the Bishops It was devised by the ancient Fathers of the Primitive Church for the conservation of good order and unity of the Catholique Church and that either by the consent and authority or else at least by the permâ—ssion and suffâ—rance of the Prâ—nces and civill powers for the time ruling For the said Fathers considering the great and infinite multitude of Christian men so lâ—rgely encreased through the world and taking examples of the Old Testamâ—nt thought it expedient to make an order of degrees to be among Bishops and spirituall Governours of the Church and so ordained some to be Patriarks some to be Metropolitansâ— some to be Archbishops some to be Bishops and to them did limit severally not onâ—ly their certaine Diocesse and Provinces wherein they should exercise their power and not exceed the same but also certaine bounds and limits of their jurisdiction and power c. And lest peradventure it might be thought to some persons that such authorities powers and jurisdictions as Patriarks Primates Archbishops and Metropolitans now have or heretofore at any time have had justy and lawfully over any other Bishops were given them by God in holy Scripture We think it expedient and necessary that all men should be advertised and taught that all such lawfull powers and authority of one Bishop over another were and be given to them by the consent ordinance positive lawes of men only and not by any ordinance of God in holy Scripture and all other power and authority which any Bishop hath used or exercised over another which hath not been given to him by such consent and ordinance of men as is aforesaid is in very deed no lawful power but plaine usurpation and tyranny And therefore whereas the Bishop of Rome hath heretofore claimed and usurped to be head and governour over all Priests and Bishops of the holy catholique Church of Christ by the lawes of God It is evident that the same power is utterly fained and untrue VVee thinke it convenient that all Bishops and Pastors shall instruct and teach the people committed to their spirituall charge that Christ did by expresse words prohibit that none of his Apostles nor any of their successors should under the pretence of authority of the sword that is to say the authority of Kings or any civill power in this world yea or any authority to make Lawes or Ordinances in causes appertaining â—â—to civill powers If any Bishop of what estate or dignity soâ—ver he be be he Bishop of Rome or of any other City Province or Diocesse doe presume to take upon him authority or jurisdiction in causes of matters which appertaine unto Kings and the civill powâ—rs and â—heir Courts and will maintaine or thinke that he may so doe by the authority of Christ and his Gospel although the Kings and Princes would not permit and suffer him so to doe no doubt that Bishop is not worthy to be called a Bishop but rather a Tyrant and a usurper of other mens rights contrary to the Lawes of God and is worthy to be reputed none otherwise than he that goeth about to subvert the Kingdome of Christ for the Kingdome of Christ in his Church is spirituall and not a carnall kingdome of the world that is to say the very Kingdome that Christ by himselfe or by his Apostles and Disciples sought here in this world was to bring all Nations from the carnall kingdome of the Prince of darknesse unto the light of his spirituall Kingdome and so himselfe raigne in the hearts of the people by grace faith hope and charity And therefore sith Christ did never seeke nor exercise any worldly kingdome or dominion in this world but rather refusing and flying the same did leave the said worldly governance of kingdomes Realmes and Nations to be governed by Princes and Potentates in like manner as he did finde them and commanded also his
12. Ed. 4. f. 201 202 223 224. Grafton 8. 12. Ed. 4. f. 678.714 Speeds Hist. l. 9. c. 17. p. 887. sect 88. Holinshed p. 683.693 19 THOMAS ROTHERAM Godwin p. 616. Speeds hist. l 9. c 19. p 929.946 20 THOMAS SAVAGE Godwin p. 617. 21 CHRISTOPHER BAMBRIDGE Godwin p. 617.618 Holinshâ—d p. 835. 22 THOMAS WOLSIE Antiqu Eccles. Brit. p 355â— to 374. Godw. p. 620. to 623. Mr. Tyndalls Practise of Popish Prelates p. 369. to 377. Hall Grafâ—on Holinshed Stow How in the life of Henry the 8. Speed hist. p. 1004 1005. to 1027. Fox Acts and Monuments p. 899. to 9â—9 See Holinshed p. 835. to 930. * He was afraid of poysoning it should seeme * See 1. â— 6 c. 2 and the Breviaâ—e of the â—relates Encroachments * Richard Stanihurst his Continuation of the Chronicles of Ireland in Holinshed Vol. 2. p. 85. to â—8 * Holinshed p. 908. * Practise of Popish Prelates p. 368. to 373. Note this ensuing Policie which our Prelates now practise Note this policie whâ—ch Cantâ—rbury of late imitated * Practise of Popish Prelates p. 369. to 373. Nota. Note this Note this Note this * Pag. 375. Note this * Halls Chron. 21. H. 8. f. 184 185 189 190. * Practise of Popish Prelates p. 373. * Holinshed p. 915 916. * Holinshed p. 917. Godwin p. 621. Speed hist. l. 9. c. 21. p. 1034. to 1043. Grafton An 27. H. 8. p. 1233. to 1237. 23 EDWARD LEE 24 ROBERT HOLGATE Godwin p. 624. * Fox Acts and Monuments p. 1891. to 1894. Godwin p. 625. 25 HARSNâ—Tâ— Epist. 237. f. 233. 26 RICHARD NEALE See a new discovery of the Prelates Tyranny p. 92. to 108. In his Description of England l. 2 c. 1. p. 133. 1 VODINUS Speeds hist l 7. c 4. p. 207. Godw. p. 182. * Math. West An. 450. Henricus Huntindon hâ—st l. 2. p. 310. Polychron l. 5. c. 1. * â—olychron l. â— c. 1. f. â—84 Iacobus Vsserius de Brit. â—ccles Primordiis p. 334. Ant nini Chron Tit. 11. c 18. sect 3 f. 51. B. Vincentâ—i spec hist. l. 20. c. 11. 2 ROBERT DE SIGILLO William Harrisons Description of England l 2. c 1. p. 133.134 * The Bishop refused to sweare fealty to the King onely to please the Pope 3 William de Sancta Maria. * Matth Wâ—stm Ann 1208. Matth. Paris An. 1208 p. 217.218 224. Godwin p. 194. Fabians Chron. part 1. Anno 1205. p. 28. Polichron l. 7. c. 33 Holinshed p. 171.172 Martins History p. 46.47.48 4 Roger Niger * Matthew Paris p 374 375. Godwin p. 194.195 Mathew Westm. An 1235 p. 140. * Matth. Paris p. 365.366 Matth. Westm. Anâ— 1232. p. 132.133.134 Speed p. 606. * Matth. Paris p 374.375 Matth. Westm. An. 1233 p. 141. Speed p. 608. 5 FVLCO BSSET * Matth. Paris p 944.957.886.887 and Godwin p. 194.195 6 HENRY SANDWICH * Matth. Wâ—st Anno. 1259. p. 182. Matth. Westm. Anno. 1265. 1266. p. 330.332.336.337.342.343 Matth. Paris p. 961.970 Godwin p. 196. Speed p. 641. Holinshed p. 271. 7 RICHARD WENWORTH * Holinshed p. 348. Yhâ— Walsingham Hist. Angl. pag. 110.111 8 WILLIAM COVRTNEY * Holinshed p. 420.421 Walsingham Hist. Angl. p. 216.217.218 * Walsingham Hi. Angl. p 217.218 Holinshed p. 457 458. 9 ROBERT BRAYBROOKE Stout Words of the Bishop of London * Walsingham Hist. Angl. p. 188.189 10 NICHOLAS RIDLY * Holinshed p. 1089. 11 EDMOND BONNER * Holinshed p. 159.1160 * Fox Acts and Monuments Ediit ult vol. 2. p. 215. l. 378.379.38 350.554.672 to 699. vol. 3 p. 105.106.107.251.254 to 384 759.879 898 974. Martins History p. 453. Godwin p. 144. 12 RICHARD FLETCHER Martins Hist. p. 810. Godwin p. 156. 13 RICHARD BANCROFT Oâ— whom see more before in Cante See Lewâ—s Hughes his grievances p. 14.15 * See p. 151.152 14 WILâ—IAM LAVD 15 WILLIAM IVXON * See the Articles of the Scottish Commissioners against Canterbury * William Harrisonâ— his De. scrip Engl. lib. 2. c. 2. p. 141 1 WINA Matth Wesâ—m An. 666 p. 234. Godwin p. 132.160 * Matth West An. 834. p. 301. Godwin p 162. 2 HERREFIRDVS 3 EDSINVS * Matth. Westm. An. 1016. p. 397.398 Polichron l. 6. c. 7. Holinshed Hist. of England l. 7. c. 9 10. p. 175.176 Speed p. 425.426 4 ALWYN * Antiq. Eccl. Brit p 73 to 79. Speed p. 203 413.41â— Godwin p 168. Holinshed Hist. of Engl l. 8. c. 1 2 4. * Polichrâ—n l 6. â— 24â— 4 Stigand Godwin p 168 169. Holinshed p. 30 Godwin p. 169 170. Math. West A. â— 102. p. 23. An. 1107. p. 25 29. 5 William Giffard HENRY DE BLOYS * Malmsâ— Novel l. 1. 2. p. 178 to 194. Matth. Paris p. 71. to 76. Matth Westm. An. 1135. to 1150. Speed l. 9 c. 5. p. 483 484 493 494 Godwin p. 221 222 223 Neuhrig Hist. l. 1.2 4 to 21. Fox Acts and Monuments p. 181. Hoveden An. pars prior p. 481 482. Holinshed p. 54. 7 Peter de la Roche * Math Paris p. 370.372 373 393. to 397. Mat. Westâ— An. 1233. p. 134 135 c. Speed p. 607 to 612. Holinshed p. 1075. The King by advancing Strangers discontâ—nts his Nobles The English Peeres confederate against the strangers The â—arons contemne the Kings Summons * Paris calls himâ— Bacum The frank speech of a Preacher * That is Rockes and Stones * In Iuly The Barons second contempt to the Kings command The traiterous errand to the King In August nexâ— Rog. de Wend. M. S. In August new Rog. de Wend. M. S. The Earle Marshall in Armes * Matth. Paris Confederates himselfe with Lewelin Prince of Wales Rog. Wend M. S. Math. Paâ—is * The Sunday after Michaelmas * Math Westm. Roger Wend. Mathâ— Paris Hubert de Bâ—rgo escapes into Wales Ypod. Neust. a An. 1205 p. 134 135 See Godwin p 172. Antiqu. Eccles. Brit p. 160 16â— Roger Wendever The King gives way to the fury of the rebellious A practise to ruine the Earle Maâ—shall The Pestilent tenour of the Letters * Rog. Wend. M. S. Matth. Pariâ— Alexander Bishop of Chester cleareth himselfe from disloyalty The Engâ—ish Bishops dâ—ale with the King about redâ—esse of the the common evils Objections against the Bâ—shop of Winton and the Poictouines The outrages of â—he Maâ—shalline faction * Note thâ—s * Edmond afterwards canonized Antiqu. Eccles. Brit. p. 160.161 * Antiqu. Eccl. Brit p. 171 163â— * Rog. de Wend. M.S. Matth. Maris * Matth. West An. 1238. p. 147. Antiq. Eccles. Brit. p. 169. * Antiqu. Eccleâ— Brit. p. 181.182 Mat. Paris An. 1246. p. 672. to 689. WILLIAM de RALEY 8 WILLIAM RALEY Matth. Wesâ—m Anno. 143. p. 174â—175 An. 1244. p. 178.179 Matth. Paris p. 588.597.616.619 Godwin p. 227.228 Holinshed p. 231.232 * Matth. â—aris p. 774.775.780.788.789.794.824.830 to 834.847.890.900.994.995.946.959 Godwin p. 176.177 6 ETHELMARVS 10 GERNSEY * Matth. West and Matth. Paris An. 1265.1266 Holinshed p 271. Godwâ—n p. 177. See Mat. Paris p.
Vortigerne but to King Powes named Beuly whose successors in tâ—at part of Wales issued from this Herdsmans race Our learned Martyr Doctor Barnes reciting this story and Legend out of Petrus de Natalibus concludes thus I thinke no man will binde me to prove this thing of the Calfe a lye and yet it must be preached and taught in each Church it must be written in holy Saints lives and he â—ust be a Saint that did it and why because hee deposed a King and set in a Neaâ—esherd Odo Bishop of Bayeux was at first in great estimation with his Brother William the Conquerour and bare great rule under him till at last for envy that Lanfranke was preferred before him he conspired against him who understanding thereof committed him to Prison where he remained till the said Prince then lying on his death bed released and restored him to his former liberty When the King was dead William Rufus took him backe into England supposing no lesse than to have had a speciall friend and a trusty Counsellour of him in all his affaires But ere long after his comming thither he fell againe into the same offence of ingratitude whereof he became culpable in the Conquerours dayes For perceiving that Lanfranke Arch Bishop of Canterbury was so highly esteemed with the King that he could beare no rule and partly suspecting that Lanfrancke had beene chiefe cause of his former imprisonment he suffered Duke Robert to bereave his Brother King William Rufus of the dominion of England all he might and conspired with the rest against his Nephew and thereupon writ sundry Letters unto Duke Robert counselling him to come over with an army in all hâ—ste to take the rule upon him which by his practise should easily be compassed Duke Robert thus animated pawnes the County of Constance to his younger Brother Henry for a great summe of gold and therewith returned answer to the said Bishop that he should provide and looke for him upon the South coast of England at a certaâ—ne â—ime appointed Hereupon Odo fortified the Castle of Rochester and began to make sore warres against â—he Kings friends in Kent and procured his other complices also to doe the like in other parts of the Realme And first on the West part of England Geoffrey Bishop of Constans with his Nephew Robert de Mowbray Earle of Northumberland setting forth from Bristow tooke and sacked Bath and Beâ—kley with a great part of Wiltshire and brought the spoile to Bristow where they fortified the Castle for their greater safety Robert de Bygod over-rode and robbed all the Countries about Norwich and Hugh de Grandwesuit spoyled and wasted all the Counâ—ries abouâ— Leicester And Robert Mountgomery Earle of Shrewâ—bury with William Bishop of Durham and others wasted the Country with fire and sword killing and taking great numbers of people where they came Afterwards comming to Worcester they assaulted the City and burnt the Suburbs But Bishop Wolstan being in the Towne encouraged the Citizens to resist who by his exhortation sallying out of the City when the enemies waxed negligent they slew and tooke above 5000. men of them in one day Archbishop Lanfranke in the meanâ— time whilst the Realme was thus troubled by Odoes meanes on each side writeth to and admonisheth all the Kings friends to make themselves ready to defend their Prince And when they were assembled with their forces he counselled the King to march into the â—ield speedily with them to represse his enemies The King following his counsell commanding first all unjust Imposts Taxes and Tallages to be laid downe and promising to restore such favourable Lawes as the people should dâ—sire to ingratiate himseâ—fe with hâ—s Subjects marcheth with a mighty army into Kent where the sedition beganâ— takes Tunbridge and Horne-Castle and afterward bâ—seigeth Bishop Odo in the Pemseyâ— which the Bâ—shop had strongly fortified Robert landing with a great Army in England during this siege Odo through want of victuall was glad to submit himselfe and promised to cause the Castle of Rochesteâ— to be delivered but at his comming thiâ—her they within the City suffred him to enter and straightwayes laid him fast in Pâ—â—son Some judge that this was done under a colour by his owne consent But the King besieging the City they within were glad â—o deliver iâ— up into his handâ— Thus lost Bâ—shop Odo all his Livings and dignities in England and so returned into Norâ—andy where under Duke Robert he had the chiefe government of the Country committed to him Anno Dom. 1196. Earle Iohn King Richard the first his Brother with his forces riding forth into the Country about Beauvois made havocke in robbing and spoyling all aâ—ore him Anon as Phillip the Bishop of Beauvois a man more given to the Campe then to the Church had knowledge hereof thinking them to be a meeâ—e prize for him with Sir William de Merlow and his Sonne and a great number of other valiant men of warre came forth into the fields and encounâ—ring with the enemies fought very stoutly But yet in the end the Bishop the Arch-deacon and all the chiefe Captaines were taken the residue slaine and chased After this Earle Iohn and Marchades presented the two Prelates with great triumph unto King Richard earely in the morning lying yet in his bed as those that were knowne to be his great enemies saying to him in French Rise Richard rise we have gotten the great Chantor of Beauvois and a good Quire man as we take it to answer him in the same note and here we deliver them unto you to use at your discretion The King seeing them smiled and was very glad for the taking of this Bishop for that he had ever found him his great adversary And therefore being thus taken fighting in the field with armour on his backe thought he might be bold in temporall wise to chastise him sith he not regarding his calling practised to molest him with temporall weapons Whereupon he committed him to close Prison all armed as he was It chanced soone after that two of his Chaplaines came unto the King to Roven where this Bishop was detained beseeching the King of License to attend upon their Master now in captivity unto whom as it is of some reported the King made this answer I am câ—ntent to make you Iudgeâ— in the cause betwixt me and your Master as for the evills which he hath either done or else gone about to doe unto me let the same be forgotten This is true that I being taken as I returned from my journey made into the holy Land and delivered into the Emperours hands was in respect of my Kingly state used according thereunto very friendly and honorably till your Master comming thither for what purpose he himselfe best knoweth had long conference with the Emperour After which I for my part in the next morning tasted the fruite of their over-nights talke being then loaden with as many Irons as a good Asse
I trow that God would commend his Priests if they woulden forsake worldly Lordships and holden them apayd with lifelot and with cloathing and busie them fast about their heritage of Heaven And God saith Numer 18. That is You shall have no inheritance in their Land nor have no part amongst thâ—m I will be your part and inheritance amongst the children of Israel Deut. 18. The Priests and Levites and all that be of the same Tribe shall have no part nor inheritance with the rest of Israel because they shall eate the Sacrifices of the Lord and his oblations and they shall take nothing of the possession of their Brethren The Lord himselfe â—s their possession as he spake unto them And the fourteenth chapâ—er of Luke Even so every one of you which forsaketh not all that he possesseth cannot be my Disciple And Ierome in his 14 Epistle hath the like words And Bernard in his 20 Booke to Eugenius the Pope And aâ—so Hugo in his booke De Sacramentis the second part of his second booke the 7 chapter And also in the 12. q. first chapter Duo sunt and in the chapter Clericus And againe Bernard in sermone de Apostolis upon this place Ecce nos reliquimus omnia Behold we leave all c. Chrysostome upon the Gospell of Saint Matthew c. Walter Brute this Swinderbyes Disciple was Articled against before the Prelates for maintaining the same positions his Master did namely That all Priests are of like power in all points notwithstanding that some of them are in this world of higher dignity degree or preheminence And touching the wealth and Temporalties of Prelates and Clergy men and the taking away of tbem he thus concludes in his Examination before the Bishop of Hereford As touching the taking away of temporall goods from those that are Ecclesiasticall persons offending habitualiter by such as â—re temporall Lords I will not affirme any thiâ—g to be lawfull in this matter as in other matters before that is not agreeable to charity And that because it is a hard matter for a man to take another mans goods from him without breaking of charity because peradventure hee that taketh away is the more moved to such manner of taking away by reason of the desire he hath to those goods which he endureth to take away or else because of some displeasure or hatred to the person from whom he goeth about to take away those goods more then that he from whom those goods be takâ—n â—â—ould be amended Therefore unlâ—sse he that taketh away be onely moved of charity to the taking away of such goods â— dare not affirme that such taking is lawfull And if such taking away proceed of charity I dare not judge it unlawfull because that the Bishop of Rome which received his temporall dominion of the Empeâ—our when the Emperour rebelled and was not obedient unto him deprived him from his tâ—mporall jurisdiction How much more then may temporall Lords doe the same which have bestowed upon them many temporall Dominions and Lordships onely to the intent that they might the better intend to serve God and keâ—pâ— his Commandâ—ments Now if they perceive that they be against the Lawes of God and that they be oveâ— busily occupied about wordly matters I cannot see but that they may well enough take from them those temporall goods which to a good purpose they gavâ— them But if in time to come after this those that beâ— temporall Lords shall take from Ecclesiasticall persons such temporalties let him that desireth to understand this read the Prophet Ezâ—kiel in the chapter of the shepheards of Israel which fed themselves in stead of their flock and so let him read the Apocalyps of the fall of Babylon Let him also read the Popes Decretalâ— against Hereticks and in those he shall find that the taking away of the temporalties from the Clergy shall come to pasâ—e for the multitude of their sinnes This opinion That the temporall Lords might tâ—ke away the temporall goods from Churchâ—â— offending habitually wâ—s likewise maintained about the same time by Nicholas Hereford Philip Râ—â—â—ington John Asâ—â—on and generally by all the Wicklivists of that age and that without any danger at all of sacriledge or sinne with Walter Brute his limitations which opinion the Lordly Prelates of England 〈◊〉 very importunate to cause them to recant by force and flattery William Thorpe a Martyr in Henry the fourth his raigne averred That the covetousnesse of Priests and pride and the boast that they have and make of their dignity and power destroyeth noâ— onely the vertues of Priesthood in Priests themselves but also over this it stirreth God to take great vengeance both upon the Lords and upon the Commons which suffer these Priests charitably Whereupon Arundel the Archbishop said to him Thou judgest every Priest proud that will not goe arayed as thou doest by God I deeme him to be more meek that goeth every day in a Scarlet gowne then thou in thy thredbare blew gowne Whereby knowest thou a proud man And hee said Sir a proud Priest may be knowne when he denyeth to follow Christ and his Apostles in wilfull poverty and other vertues and coveâ—eth worldly worship and taketh it gladly and gathereth together with pleading menacing or with flattering or with Simony any-worldly goods and most if a Priest â—usy him not cheifly in himselfe and after in all other men and women after his cunning and power to withstand sinne And finally he adds that the viciousnesse of these foresaid named Priests and Prelates hath been long time and yet is and shall be cause of wars both within the Realme and without and in the same wise these unable Priests have been and yet are and shall â—e chiefe cause of pestilence of men and murren of beasts and the barrennesse of the earth and of all other mischiefes to the time that Lords and Commons able them through grace to know and to keep the Commandements of God inforcing them then faithfully and charitably by one assent to redresse and make one this foresaid Priesthood to the wilfull poore meeke and innocent living and teaching specially of Christ and his Apostles So hee Iohn Purvey a Martyr about the same time in a Treatise of his declared how the King the Lords and Commons may without any charge at all keepe fifteene Garrisons and find 15900 Souldiers having sufficient Lands and revenues to live upon out of the temporalties gotten into the handâ— of the Clergy and â—ained religious men which never doe thaâ— which pertaineth to the office of Curats to doe nor yet to secular Lords And moreover the King may have every yeare 20000 pound to come freely into his coffers and above also he may finde or sustaine fifteene Colledges more and 15000. Priests and Clarks with sufficient living and an hundred Hospitals for the sick and every house to have a hundred Markes in Lands And all this may they take
The proud Pope put him out So of his Realme is in doubt But Lords bâ—ware and them defend For now these folk been wondrous stout Moses Law forbade iâ— thâ— That Priests should no Lordships weld Christs Gospell biddeth also That they shoâ—ld no Lordshipâ— held Ne Christs Apostles were never so bold No such Lordships to them embrace But â—â—neren her â—â—eep and keep her fold God amend hem for his grace c. This Booke of Chaucer was authorised to be printed by Act of Parliament in the 34. and 3â— Hen. 8. C. 2. When the Prelates by the same Act prohibited both the printing and reading of the Bible in English such was their piety About the same time there was a device or counterfeit letter fained under the nâ—â—e of Luâ—ifer Prince of darknesse written to the persâ—cuting Prâ—lâ—tes of England in those times and transcribed by Master Fox out of the Register of the Bishop of Hereford and written as some thinke by William Swinderby or some other Lollard The coppy whereof I shall here insert because it lively sets sorth the use and benefit that the Devill makes of our Lordly Prelates and the ill effects of their great wealth and power to the great prejudice both of our Church and State I LVCIFER Prince of Darknesse and profound heavinesse Emperour of the high Misteries of the King of Acharoâ—t Captaine of the Dungeon King of Hell and controuler of the infernall fire To all our children of pride and companions of our Kingdome and especially to our Princes of the Church of this later age and time of which our adversary Jesus Christ according to the Prophet saith I hate the Church or Congregation of the wicked send greeting and wish prosperity to all that obey our commandements as also to all those that be obedient to the Lawes of Satan already enacted and are diligent observers of our behests and the precepts of our decree Know ye that in times past certaine Vicars or Vicegerents of Christ following his steps in miracles and virtues living and continuing in a beggarly life converted in a manner the whole World from the yoake of our tyranny unto their Doctrine and manner of life to the great derision and contempt of our Prison-house and kingdome and also to the no little prejudice and hurt of our jurisdiction and authority not fearing to hurt our fortified power and to offend the Majesty of our estate For then received we no tribute of the World neither did the miserable sort of common people rush at the gates of our deepe dungeon as they were wont to do with continual pealing and rapping but then the easie pleasant and broad way which leadeth to death lay still without great noyse of trampling travellers neither yet was trod with feet of miserable men And when all our Courts were without Suitors Hell then began to howle And thus continuing in great heavinesse and anguish was robbed and spoyled Which thing considered the impatient rage of our stomack could no longer suffer neither the ugly rechlesse negligence of our great Captainâ— generall could any longer endure it But we seâ—king remedy for the time that should come after have provided us of a very trim shift For in stead of these Apostles and other their adherents which draw by the same line of theirs as well in manners as doctrine and are odious enemies to us Wee have caused you to be their Successors and put you in their place which be Prelates of the Church in these later times by our great might and subtilty as Christ hath said of you They have raigned but not by me Once we promised unto him all the Kingdomes of the World if he would fall downe and worship us but he would not saying My Kingdome is not of this World and went his way when the multitude would have made him a temporall King But to you truely which are fallen from the state of grace and that serve us in the earth is that my promise fulfilled and all terrene things by our meanes which wee bestowed upon you are under government For he hath said of us ye know The Prince of this World cometh c. And hath made us to raigne over all children of unbeleife Therefore our adversaries before recited did patiently submit themselves unto the Princes of the World and did teach that men should doe so saying Be ye subject to every creature for Gods cause whether it be to the King as most chiefest And againe Obey ye them that are made rulers over you â— For so their Master commanded them saying The Kâ—ngs of the Heathen have dominion over them c. But I thinke it long till we have powred our poyson upon the earth and therefore fill your selves full And now be ye not unlike those Fathers but also contrary unto them in your life and conditions and extoll your selves above all other men Neither doe ye give unto God that which belongeth to him nor yet to Caesar that which is his but exercise you the power of both the Swordsâ— according to our decrees making your selves doers in worldly matters fightâ—ng in our quarrell intangled with secular labours and businesse And clime ye by little and little from the miserable state of poverty unto the highest Seats of all Honours and the most Princely places of dignity by your devised practises and false and deceitfull wiles and subtilty that is by Hypocrisie Flattery Lying Perjury Treasons Deceiâ—s Simony and other greaâ—er wickednesse then which our internall furies may devise For after that ye have been by us advanced thither where ye would be yet that doth not suffice you but as greedy starvelings more hungry then ye were before ye suppresse the poore scratch and rake together all that comes to hand perverting and turning every thing topsie â—urvey so swolne that ready ye are to burst for pride living like Lechers in all corporall delicatenesse and by fraud directing all your doings You challenge to your selves names of honour in the earth calling your selves Lords Holy yea and most holy Fathers Thus either by violence ye raven or else by ambition subtilly ye pilfer away and wrongfully wrest and by false title possesse those goods which for the sustentation of the poore members of Christ whom from our first fall we have hated were bestowed and given consuming them as ye your selves list and wherewith ye cherish and maintaine an innumerable sort of Whores Strumpets and Bawdes with whom ye ride pompously like mighty Princes farre otherwise going then those poore beggarly Priests of the primitive Church For I would ye should build your selves rich and gorgeous Palaces Ye fare like Princes eating and drinking the most daintiest meates and pleasantest wines that may be gotten Ye hoard and heape together an infinite deale of treasure not like to him that said Gold and silver have I none Ye serve and fight for us according to your wages O most acceptable society
day f. 284. But it is a thing to be lamented that the Prelates and other spirituall persons will not attend upon their Offices they will not be amongst their flockes but rather will run hither and thither here and there where they are not called and in the meane season leave them at adventure of whom they take their living yea and furthermore some will rather be Clerkes of Kitchins or take other offices upon them besides that which they have already but with what conscience these same doe so I cannot tell I feare they shall not be able to make answeâ—e at the last day for their follies as concerning that matter for this office is such a heavie and mighty office that it requireth a whole man yea and let every Curate or Parson keepe his Cure to wâ—ich God hath appointed him and let him doe the â—est that he can yet I tell you he cannot chuse but the Devill will have some for he sleepeth not he goeth about day night to seek whom he may devoure Therforâ— it is neede for every Godly Minister to abide by his sheepe seeing that the Wolfe is so neere and to keepe them and witâ—stand the Wolfe Indeed there be some ministers here in England which doe no good at al and therefore it were better for them to leave their benefices and give roome unto others Finally in his Sermon Preached before the Convocation Iune 9. in the 28. of Henry 8. he thus speaketh to the Clergie of England and Lordly Prelates touching the utilitie of their Councels and assemblies for the Churches good The end of your Convocation shall shew what ye have done the fruite that shall come of your consultation shal shew what generation ye be of For what have ye done hitherto I pray you these 7. yeares more What have ye engendred What have yee brought â—orth What fruite is come of your long and great assembly what one thing that the people of England hath beene the better of an haire Or you your selves either accepted before God or better discharged toward the people committed unto your cure Or that the people is better learned and taught now then they were in time past to whether of these ought we to attribute it to your industry or to the providence of God and the foreseeing of the Kings Grace Ought we to thanke you or the Kings highnesse whether stirred other first you the King that ye might preach or he you by his Letters that ye should preach oftner Is it unknowne thinke you how both ye and your Curates were in manner by violence enforced to let bookes to be made not by you but by prophane and lay persons to let them I say be sold abroad and read for the instruction of the people I am bold with you but I speake Latine and not English to the Clergie noâ— to the Laity I speake to you being preâ—ent and not behind your backes God is my witnesse I speake whatsoever is spoken of the good will that I beare you God is my witnesse which knoweth my heart and compelleâ—h me to say that I say Now I pray you in God his name what did you so great Fathers so many so long a season so oft assembled together what went you about what would ye have brought to passe two things taken away the one that ye which I heard burned a dead man the other that ye which I leâ—t went about to burne one being alive Him because he did I cannot tell how in his Testament withstand your profit in other points as I have heard a very good man reported to â—e of an honest life while he lived full of good workes both good to the Clergie and also to the Laity this other which truely never hurt any of you ye would have â—aked in the Coales because he would not subsâ—ribe to cerâ—aine Articles that tooke away the Supremacie of the King Take away these two Noble Acts and there is nothing else left that ye went about that I know saving that I now remember that somewhat ye attempted against Erasmus albeit as yet nothing is come to light Ye have oft sit in consultation but what have ye done ye have had many things in deliberation but what one put forth whereby either Christ is more glorified or else Christs people made more holy I appeale to your owne conscience How chanceth this How came this thus Because there were no Children of light no Children of God among you which setting the world at nought would studie to illustrate the glory of God and thereby shew themselves Children of light So this godly Martyr who hath sundry such like passage in his Sermons In the Conference Anno. 1555. betweene our Religious Martyr Iohn Bradford and Doctor Harpesfield Arch Deacon of London Master Bradford complaines that the Pillars of the Church were persecuters of the Church and tells him you shall noâ—â—â—nde in all the Scripture this your essentiall part of succession of Bishops whereupon Harpesfield sayd Tell me were not the Apostles Bishops To which Bradford replyed No except you will make a new definition of a Bishop that is give him no certaine place Harpesfield Indeede the Apostles Office was not the Bishops office for it was universall but yet Christ instituted Bishops in his Church as Paul saith he hath given Pastors Prophets c. So that I trow it be proved by the Scriptures the succession of Bishops to be an essentiall point Brad. The Ministry of Gods Word and Ministers be an essentiall point But to translate this to the Bishops and their succession is a plaine subtilty And therefore that it may be plaine I will aske you a question Tell me WHETHER THAT THE SCRIPTVRE KNEW ANY DIFFERENCE BETWEENE BISHOPS AND MINISTERS which ye called Priests Harps No. So that by the joynt confession of Papists and Protestants in Queene Maries time Bishops and Ministers by the Scripture are both one Brad. Well then goe on forwards and let us see what ye shall get now by the succession of Bishops that is of Ministers which can be understood of such Bishops as minister not but Lord it Lord Bishops than are none of Christs institution nor of the Apostles succession Master Fox his Acts and Monuments of our Martyrs Lond. 1610. p. 1796. I finde this Dialogue betweene Dr. Iohn Baker Collins his Chaplaine and Edmund Allin a Martyr Baker I heard say that you spake against Priests and Bishops Allin I speake for them for now they have so much living and especially Bishops Arch-deacons and Deanes that they neither can nor will teach Gods Word If they had a hundred pounds a peece then would they apply their study now they cannot for other affaires Collins who will then set his children to schoole Allin Where there is now one set to schoole for that end there would be 40. because that one Bishops living divided into 30. or 40 parts would finde so many as well learned men
Abstract of certaine Acts of Parliamenâ— The Demonstration of Discipline M. Cartâ—rights reply Marâ—in Marprâ—latâ— and others 39 RICHARD BANCROFT * In his Sermon at Pauls Crosse by D. Reynolds in his letter to Sr. Francis Knoles * Martyns Chron. p. 793. p. 48 49. * In his certaine grievances well worthy the consideration of the right honourable Court of Parliament p. 14 15. 40 GEORGE ABBOT 41 AVGVSTINE * See Antiq. Eccles Brit. p. 15. to 45. 1. to 7. Fox Acts monuments p. 149. to 156. Malmesde gestis Pontif. l. 1. William Harrisons Description of England l. 2. c. 1.2 * See Greg. Epist. l. 11. epist. 36.44 and Morney his mystery of iniquity Sect. 22. p. 116 117. * Antiq. Eccles. Brit. p. 4 5 6 7. Matth. Westm. An. 603. p. 204 205 206. Beda Eccles. hist. l. 2. c. 21 22. Fox Acâ—â— and Monuments p. 153 154. Polichron l. 5. c. 19. f. 194 195. Fabian part 5. c. 109 110. Malmesb. l. 5. de Regibus Hâ—â—ricâ— Spelmanâ—â— concilia tom 1. p. 104. to 112. Godwinâ— catalogue of Biâ—hops p. 5 6. Iacob Vsserius de Britannicarum Ecclesiarprimâ—rdiis pag. 133 9â—2.1157 Malmes de gestis regum Aâ—gliâ— l. 1. c. 3. * Epitom Chron. * Amandus Xiâ—â—ixiensis * Antiq. Eccles. â—rit p. 4 5. where hee notably inveighs against ceremomonies and the â—igorous presâ—â—ng of them 42 WILIAM LAUD * Sunday no Sabbath p. 2.43 44. Altare Christianum * See D. Râ—â—naldâ— conference with Haâ—â— c. 6. Divil 3. p. 210. to 218. Christopher Câ—rlilâ— his St Peters life and peregrination proving that Peter was never at Romeâ— M. Bâ—rnard his fabulous foundation of the Popedome * See M. Râ—usâ— his speech to the Lords at the Transmission of M. Smarts cause Mr. Pimmes Speech See thâ— Charge of the Scâ—ttish Commissioners against Canterbury * Which Doctor Pierce Bishop of Bath and Welâ— in his speech to hiâ— Clergy to set on this contribution stiled Bellum Episcopale adding that whatâ—â—ver his Majesty had expressed in his Declarationâ— tâ— be the cause of this warrâ— yet in truth this warre is FOR VS Bishopsâ— Chaptâ—â— 7. * The Relation of his Confâ—rence with Fisher p. 132.142.296 â—â—8 301 * Relation of his Conferencâ— with Fiâ—â—er p. 270. * Ibidem p. 384.385 * See Antiq. Eccles Brit. p. 8. Godwin p. 8. Malmesbur dâ— Gestis Pontif. lib. 1. p. 196. Antiqu. Eccles. Brit. p. 14.15.17 Godwin p. 11. THEODORUS Malmesbur de Gestis Pontif. Angl. l. 3. p 261.262 BIRHTUALDUS * Malmes de Gestis Pontif. l. 3. p. 263. to 266. Antiq. Eccl. Briâ— p. 17.18.19 TATWIN * Antiq. Eccles. Brit. p. 21. Godwin Pag. 13. * Antiqu. Eccles. Brit. p. 22.24 CUTBERT LAMBERT * Matth. Westm. An. 765. p. â—76 Malmesburiensiâ— De gestis Pontif. l. 1. p. 198 199. Ant. Ecclâ—s Brit. p. 26.29 Godwin p. â—5 ATHELARDUS * Antiq. Eccles. Brit. p. 27 to 34. Malmes de Gestis Pontif l. 1. p. 199. Matth. West An. 1267. p. 292. Godwin p. 16. * Epistola ad Hegibaldum Episc. Ant. Eccles. Brit. p. 31. * Beda Eâ—el Hist. l. 2. c. 3. Antiqu. Ecclâ—s Brit. p. 7. * Camdeâ—s Britannia p. 460. ELNOTHVS Speed Hist. l. 8. â— 4. p. 484.496 Holinshed History of England l. 7. c. 13. p. 182 * William Hâ—â—rison Description of England â— 132.133 We have seene the like of late iâ—â— like prelaâ—icall quarrell * I would oâ—â— secular Lordly Prelates would consider this * William Harrison Description of England pag. 134 135. * Sermo 1. in convers S. Pauli super Cant. Sermâ— 77. Hee writes it principally of the Popes of Rome but t is as true oâ— the Popes of Canterbury * Rev. 18.19.21 * Rev. 1â— â— Sylâ—â—sâ—â—r â—â—ralduâ— 1 WILFRID * Will Malâ—sb de Gestâ—s Pontif. l. 3. p. 260. to 266. Antiquâ—t Eccâ—â—s Brit. p. 14. to 19. Godwin p 560 561 562. Math Westm. Anno 672. Florentius Wigorniensis An. 677 6â—5 Holinshed hist. of Brit. l. 5. c 34.35 36. l 6 c. 2. Henrici Spelm. Concil Tom. 1. p. 146 147 149 157.161 162 163 178 179 200 to 206. Antiqu Eccâ—es Brit p 47. * Matth Wesâ—m Anno 673. Henriâ—i Spelm. Coâ—cil Tom. 1. p. 153. * Matb Westm. An 872. Godwin p. 566. 2 VLFERUS Malmsb. de Gestis Pontif. l. 3. p 269. Godwin p 567. Holinâ—hed Hist. of England l. 6. c. 23. p. 158. Math. Wâ—stm Ann. 951.953 3 WOLSTAN * Math. Westm. Hovâ—den Florentius Wigorniâ—sis An. 951 952 953. * Holinshed hist. of England l. 6. c. 25. p. 162. 4 OSVVALD 5 ELFRICK Malmsb. de Gestis Pontif. p 270 271. Godwin p 570. Florentius Wigoâ—niensis An. 1040 1041. Math Westm. An 1040 Holinsheds Hist. of England l. 7. c 15. p. 185. Speed p. 407â— 6 ALDREDUS * Will Malmsb. de Gestâ—s Pontif. l. 3. p. 271. Godwin p. 571. to 574. Speed p. 419. Polichroâ— l. 7. c. 27 28. l. 7. c. 1. Math. Wâ—stm Ann. 1071. Wigâ—rniensis An. 106â— Holinshed â—ist of England l 8. c. 8. p. 196. 7 THURSTAN * Polichron l. 7. c. 15. Malmsbâ— de Gestis Ponti l. 3. p. 274 275. Antiqu. Eccles. Brit. p. 112 113. Eadmerus hist. Novorum l 5 6. p. 117. to 138. Godwin p. 579.580.981 Walfingh and Holtnshed p. 41 42 49. 8 MURDAC * Nenbrigâ—nsis hist. l. 1. c. 17. Godw. p. 582. 9 PLANTAGINET * Godw. p. 587 588 Neubrig l. 4. c. 17. Matâ— Paris hist Maior p. 146.157 134 212 222 Holinshed p. 143 147 163 170. * Matth. Westm. Anno 1207. * Holinshed p 147. 10 GODFREY DE KINTON Godwin p. 594. * Godw p. 596. See 21. Ed. 1. â—n the Fleas of the Parliament plac 17. Dorsâ—clauso p. 21. E. 1. m. 3. 11 IOHN ROMAN * Godw. p. 597.598 12 THOMAS DE CORBRIDGE Walsingâ— hist. Angliae pâ— 110 111. Holinsh. 348. 13 WILLIAM DE MELTON * Holinshâ—d hist. of Scot. p. 222. 14 ALEXANDER NEVEL * Godwin p. 601 602 Grafton p. 375. Holiâ—shed p. 458 460 463 464. Walsingh hist Ang p 354 368. Speeds p. 748 749. * Alexan. Nevel â—roditorâ— â—usurâ—one translato adâ— Episcopatum S. Andrâ—ae in Scotia Hist. Ang. p. 368. 15 THOMAS ARUNDEL Godwin p. 603â— Graâ—ton p. 382. Walsâ—â—gh hist. Ang. p 386 392 393. Yâ—â—dig Naâ—st p. 151. * Holinshed p 488. * Holinshed p. 503. * Godwin p. 604 605 606. Polychron lib 8. c. 10. f 326. Walsingh Ypodigm Nâ—ust Aâ— 1405â— f. 168.170 Caxton pars 7. Hâ—n 4. p. 430. Stow Martin Fabian An. 6. Hen. 4. Speeds Hist. l 9. c. 14. p. 775. sect 43. Halls Chron. par 1. An. 6. H. 4. f. 25. Walsingh hist. Angliae p. 416 417. Holinshed p. 522.529 530. 16 RICHARD SCROOPE Stamford Plecs of the Crowne l. 3. c. 1. f. 153. a Cromptons Iâ—risdiction of Courtsâ— f. 12. b. Pag. 430. * Walsingh hist. Ypodigm An. 1406. p. 170. * An 6. Hâ—â— 4. f. 25. 17 IOHN KEMP Holinshâ—d p. 620â— to 627. 18 GEORGE NEVILL Godwin p. 609 610 611 Halls Chron. An. 8
King though thus advanced and Crowned by him and the Prelates against all right and the approbation of the Nobles and People who stood for Robert fell out with him banished him the Realme as being overbusie and pragmaticall till at last with much adoe he mediated his peace Now what was this but an act of Treason Treachery and injustice to thrust the right Heiâ—e from the Crown and set up an Usurper Which as it procured many bloody Warres betweene the two Brethren so it brought great misery on the whole Realme as the Histories of those times witnesse and procured himselfe much blame This Arch-Prelate Lanfranke was used by Pope Gregory before this exploit of his for the undermining of William the Conqueror and the subjecting both of him and his State to the Papacie which he endevouring but not effecting his Holinesse growing angry with this Agent Lanfrancke cleared himselfe of the blame shewing him how diligently but indeede treacherously he had bestirred himselfe in counselling to sweare to yeeld obedience and doe fealty to the Pope Suasi sed non persuasi saith he I have so advised him but I could not perswade him O perfidious ungratefull counsell and swasion of this Prelate to make his Soveraigne and his Realme meeâ—e Vassals to the Pope This Lanfrancke so farre offended William Rufus that he banished him the Land whereupon he went to Rome and travelled over divers Countries in Exile till a writing on a certaine night falling as it were from heaven into the hands of a Clerke wherein it was written that William Rufus was slaine which afterwards came to passe he heard the newes of Rufus his death and thereupon returned againe to his See of Canterbury and there dyed of a Feaver Anselme Arch-Bishop of Canterbury his immediate successour presently after his Consecration sell into contestation with his Soveraigne William Rufus naming and accepting Vrban to be Pope before the King had acknowledged him to be so for which and for his over-sawcie speeches and carririage to the King and his refusing to acknowledge his fauâ—â— he was commanded out of the Realme all the Prelates of England except onely Gundalfus Bishop of Rochester assenting to the King against Anselme that he was guilty of High Treason for attempting to deprive the Crowne of sundry Prerogatives Royall belonging to itâ— to wit Soveraigneâ— Pope Vrban used Anselm as his instrument to draw the King to his beck and to subject the Crowne and Kingdom to his will which incredible pride and Popish incroachments of his attempted by the meanes of Anselme and other chiefe Prelates of the Kingdome caused the King for prevention of further mischefes to banish thâ—â— Rebellious Trayterly Prelate who repairing to the Pope where hee had good entertainement made many complaints against his Soveraigne whose death he both plotted and conspired as is probable by that Vision which Matthew Westminster records to have appeared to Anselme during his exile wherein he saw God at the prayers of the Saints in England deliver a fiery Arrow to Martyr Saint Alban who delivered it to an evill Spirit an avenger of wickednesse that cast it flying like a Comet throw the ayre understanding presently in the Spirit that the King wounded and shot with that Arrow perished that night he saw this Vision Wherupon celebrating the Masse very early the next morning he packed up his clothes Books and other things which he would have carried with him and forthwith began his journey towards his Church of Canterbury to which when he came neere he heard the King was slaine about the same time he having in all likelihood before that plotted with and hired Walter Tyrell the French Knight who shot the King in the brest with an Arrow in stead of the Sâ—ag he was chasing to murther the King in this manner about that time which fore-plotted Treason was the occasion of this Vision True it is that the Monkes who favoured Anselme and writ the Histories of those times impute this murther onely to a casualty as if the Arrow had glanced against a Tree and so by accident slaine the King who with one only groane fell downe and dyed But certainely this Vision with many other of that nature registred by our Monks compared with other circumstances as the great hatred of the Clergie Monkes and Prelates towards him his premonition not to ride abroad a hunting that day that Tyrell and the King were alone and all the company else scattered from him when this was done that most of his followers as soone as they heard of it made away that Tyrell so easily escaped without any prosecution for this fact that the Kings Corpes was layd by some few Country Peasants onely all the rest forsaking him into a Colliers Cart drawne with one silly beast through a very foule and filthy way where the Carâ— breaking he lay pittifully goared and filthily bemired that he was obscurely buried at Winchester the next day following not onely without any state or solemnity but without any teares In cujus Sepultura lachrymae locum prae gaudio non habeâ—ant saith Matthew Paris that there were so many predictions of his death by Monkes that Anselme had such speedy notice of it and provided for his returne to England the next morning after These severall circumstances I say compared with Anselmes Vision are strong arguments to me that his death was not casuall but plotted by this Arch-Prelate and his instruments to end the controversies then betweene them This King being thus dispatched King Henry the first succeeded him calls home Anselme from his Exile who immediately upon his returne deprived divers Bishops and Abbots in a Convocation at London and presently after fell out with this King also as hee had done with William Rufus for disposing of all Bishoprickes that fell at his pleasure giving investiture and possession of them by the delivery of a Staffe and a Ring according as his predecessors had done and all Princes generally used to doe in that Age whereupon Anselme denying this Prerogative to his Soveraigne refused both to consecrate any of the Bishops thus elected and appointed or to repute any of those already consecrated by such election for lawfull Bishops alledging that it was laâ—â—ely prohibited by Pope Vrban the second in a Counâ—cell held under him that any Clerke should take the investiture of any spirituall preâ—erment from the hand of any King Prince or Layman The King upon Anselmes refusall required Gerard Arch-Bishop of Yorke to give these Bishops Consecration whereunto hee readily assented but William Giffard nominated to Winchester stood so in awe of Anselme that he durst not accept consecration at Gerards hands This incensed the King wonderfully so as presently hee commanded Giffards goods to be confiscate and himselfe banished the Realme great adoe there was throughoâ—t the Realme about this matter some defending the Kings right others taking part with the Bishops The King thinking to pacifie the Controversies
in which he had a finger which proceeding of our Prelates may justly induce us to passe the same censure on them now as famous Henry Bullenger did of old on the Bishops then in his Booke De Episcoporum Functione Iurisdicâ—ione Tiguri 1538. â— 112.113.143.1150.159 to 163. and 172. and as Mr. Calvin after him did in his notable Booke De Necessitate Reformandae Ecclesiae Edi. 1543 p. p. 24.25.26.104.105.106 to which I shall referre the reader As for Dr. Manwaring who had some relation to this church we all know that he received a Censure in the Parliament House 3. Caroli for two seditious Sermons Preached at the Court before his Maiestie and then published in Print by the now Archbishop of Canterburies meanes wherein he indeavoured to undermine the Subjects liberties and the proprietie of their goods â—etled in them by our Lawes by false divinityâ— and to give the King an absolute power against Law to impose what taxes he pleased and to take away such a proportion of goods and treasure from his people as himselfe should thinke meete upon any occasion For which Sermons though he were censured by both Houses to be never more capable of any future preferment in Church or Common-wealth yet immediatly after the dissolution of the Parliament he was by Canterburies meanes in affront of that Sentenceâ— advanced first to a great living granted formerly to another then to a Deanery and soone after to the Bishopricke of St. Davids where he so demeaned himselfe in advancing of superstition prophanesse and idolatry that now he dares not shew his face in Parliament and lies lurking in obscure Places and Ale hoâ—ses as some report fearing a deprivation from this usurpedâ— dignityâ— given him in contempt of his former sentence in Parliament And thus much for the Bishops of these Sees I now proceede to others CHAP. V. Containing the Treasons Conspiracies Contumacies and disloyalties of the Bishops of Chichester Carlile Norwich Chester Coventry and Litchfield NOt to mention how Agilricke Bishop of the South-Saxons with divers other Bishops and Abots were deprived by William the Conqueror Anno 1076. 〈…〉 in the Councels of Winchester and Windsor and after that committed to perpetuall Prison upon suspition of Treason and Rebellion against the Conqueror to deprive him of the Crown Ralph the third Bishop of Chichester a man of high Stature and no lesse high of mindâ— stood very stoutly in defence of Bishop Anselme in so much that when King William Rufus threatned him for the same he offered him his Ring and Crosier saying It should better become him to loose his placeâ— than his duety to the Archbishop whom he could never be induced to forsake untill he seemed to forsake his owne cause by flying the Country After this when King Henry the first was content to dispense with the marriage of Priests to which Anselme was an heavy enemy notwithstanding the Canons lately made in the Councell of London to the contrary the Priests granting him an yearely summe of money to defend them against Anselme this Bishop resisted the collection of that money in his Diocesse calling it the tribute of Fornication and when notwithstanding his resistance it was payd he interdicted his owne Diocesse commanding the Church doores to be every where stopped up with thornes The King whether not vouchsafing to contend with him or taking his well meaning in good part was not onely content to pardon this his contemptuous disobedience but also bestowed the money so gathered in his Diocesse upon him saving It was a poore Bishoppricke and needed such helpes This Bishop went every yeare thrice about his Diocesse Causa praedicandi onely to Preach the Gospell to the people exacting nothing from his Provincialls by his Episcopall power but receiving onely what they willingly presented to him as a free gift rebuking those who offended which was the sole kind of Visitation in those dayes without any such Visitation Articles Procurations presentments Fees c as are this day practised imposed exacted both against Law and Canon too Hilary the fifth Bishop of this See though hee was content absolutely to allow of the Declaration after published at Claridon without mention of that odious clause saluo ordine suo being shreudly baited of his brethren for his labour yet afterwards hee had some contests with the King and sought to impeach his prerogative royall as appearâ—s by this notable passage of the Author of the Holy Table name and Thing p. 30.31 Sure I am that according to this advice of Eleutheâ—ius the Danishâ— and first Norman Kings have governed their Churches and Churchmen by Capitulaâ—s and mixed Digests composed as it were of Common and Canon Law and promulged with the advice of the Counsell of the King as wâ—e may see in those particulars set forth by Mr. Lambard Mr. Selden Dr. Powell and others And I doe not beleeve there can be shewed any Ecclesiasticall Canons for the government of the Church of England untill long after the conquest which were not either originally promulgedâ— or afterwards approved and allowed by either the Monarch or some King of the Heptarchy sitting and directing in the Nationall or Provinciall Synod For all the Collections that Lindwood Comments upon are as Theophrastus speakes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but rough and rugged mony of a more fresh later coyning and yet in those usurping times I have seene a Transcript of a Record An. 1157.3o. Henry the 2. wherein when the Bishop of Chichister opposed some late Canons against the Kings exemption of the Abby of Battells from the Episcopall Jurisdiction it is said That the King being angry and much moved therewith should reply Tu pro Papae authoritate ab hominibus concessa contra dignitatum Regalium authoritates mihi à Deo concessas calliditate arguta niti praecogitas Doe you Sir goe about by subtilties of wit to oppose the Popes authority which is but the favour or connivence of men against the authority of my Regall Dignities being the Charters and Donations of God himselfe and thereupon requires Reason and Justice against the Bishop for this soule insolencie A good evidence that the Canon Law had little esteeme or foâ—ce among us in that age and not long after it was prohibited by speciall Writ to be read among us as appeares by the Writ of 19. Hen. 3. directed to the Major and Sheriefes of London commanding them Quod per totara Civitatem London Clamari faciant firmiter prohiberi ne aliquis Scolas regens de Legibus in eadem Civitate de caetero ibidem Leges doceat Decembrisâ— This was five yeares after the Decretalls published and it seemes most probable that these Leges were Canon Lawes perhaps mixt as usually they were in the profession also with the Imperialls for both of them were it seemes studied here under Henry the third by the Clergy more â—han any other part of
learning and therefore were forbidden as being bâ—th in regard of their owne authority against the supreme majestie and independency of the Crown of England And before this in King 〈◊〉 reigne in that great controversie in the Synod of Winchester touching the Castles of Newarke Salesâ—ury and the Vies the King denied utterly Censuram Canonum pati that is to have it determined by themâ— whether or noâ— the two Bishops Roger of Salisbury and Alexander of Lincolne might lawfully kepe their Castles that they had fortified But while the rest of the Bishops stood so much upon their Canons and even in the face of majestie profest a rebellion the King and the Lay subjects it seemes grew so exasperated against them that by publike command for the preservation of the Liberty of the Crowne and Laity they were forbidden to be of any more use in the Kingdome for so perhaps is that to be understood in Iohn of Chartres where he sayes that Tempore Regis Stephani a regno jussae sunt Leges Romanae quas in Brittanniam domus venerabilis Patris Tâ—eobaldi Briâ—tanniarum Primatis asciverat Ne quis etiam libros retineret edicto Regio prohibitum est The Canon Law made by Popes and Prelates being inconsistent with the Kings Supremacy and Subjects Liberty Stephen Berksteed the 14th Bishop of Chichester Anno. 1265. was excommunicated by Oâ—tobon the Popes Legate for rebelling and taking part with the Barons against King Henry the third who thereupon repaired to Rome for absolution Iohn de Langhton the 16th Bishop of Chichister Anno. 1315. excommunicated Warren Earle of Kent for adultery whereupon the Earle came unto him with armed men making some shew to lay violent hands upon him unlesse he would absolve him The Bishops men perceiving it by their Masters command set upon them and put both the Earle and his men in prison whereupon ensued great combustions Thomas Rushocke the 20th Bishop of Chichester a lewde pernicious Prelate Anno. 1388. was driven away from the Court by the Barons as a Traytor for his ill Councells to Richard the second his Lands and goods confiscated he banished and deprived of his Bishoppricke by Act of Parliament himself had suffered as a Traytor but that his guiltinesse made him flie before he could be apprehended Adam Molins the 31. Bishop of that See falling at variance with Richard Duke of Yorke was slaine at Portsmouth by certaine Marriners Iune 9. 1449. Richard Sampson the 37th of Chichester Anno 21. Hen. 8. was committed to the Tâ—â—â—â—â—r for relieving certaine Trayterous persons who denied the Kings Supremacy George Day the 21. Bishop of this See October 10. 1551. was deprived from his Bishoppricke for denying the Kings Supremacy and maintaining the Popes and other misdemeanours but was afterwards restored by Queene Mary at whose Coronation hee preached Iohn Christopherson the 40. Bishop of this Diocesse was deprived by Act of Parliament in the beginning of Queene Elizabeths happy reigne for denying her supremacy and refusing to take the oath of alegiance To passe by the subsequent Bishops of this See Richard Mountague the last Bishop thereof but one was the principall abetter and reviver of those late Arminian and Popish Doctrines Ceremonies Innovations which for sundry yeares have disquietedâ— both our Church and State and that not onely in his Booke intituled Appello Caesarem published in the yeare 1625. complained against in three severall Parliaments and called in by his Majesties speciall Proclamation as a Booke that opened the way to those Schismes and Divisions which have since ensued in our Church though for this very Bookeâ— he was advanced to this See by the practise and confederacy of some swaying Prelates and in his Gagge but likewise in his Visitation Articles his Antidiatribae his Aparatus ad Historiam Ecclesâ—asticam and other Workes as you may reaâ— more largely in Mr. Bayly his Canterburians seâ—fe-Conviction the last Edition which Bookes of his have given great scandall to our Church much advantage to our Popish Adversaries and much distractedâ— not onely our Church but State for which no doubt hee should have received his just demerits in the high Court of Parliament had not hee died suddenly out of feare being sent for to answer his old and new offences upon some fresh complaints to ease the Parliament and prevent a censure Of his successor in this See I neede say nothing hee is so well knowne wherefore I shall next visit Carlile Diocesse and give you but a touch of some speciall Acts of the Bishops of that See The Bishops of Carlile Walter Malclerke in the yeare 1223. was consecrated unto the Bishoppricke of Carlile which hee acknowledged to have obtained by evill and corrupt meanes and therefore resigned the same moved in conscience so to doe as hee alledged Iune 29. 1246. and tooke on him the habit of a Fryer Preacher at Oxford in which he continued till his death Being Treasurer of England under King Henry the third the King upon a sudden at the instigation of Peter Bishop of Wâ—nchester not onely displaced him from that office but revoked certaine Grants made unto him heretofore charged him with the debt of 100. pound which hee acknowledged not For redresse of these wrongs as he tooke them he determined to travell to Rome but was stayed at the waters-side by the Kings Officers whom Roger Bishop of London excommunicated for the same and riding presently to Worceter where the Court lay renewed that Excommunication in the Kings presenceâ— How he thrived with these businesses afterward I find not But likely enough it is that these troubles rather made him weary of the world than any such scruple induce him to leave his Bishoppricke Sylvester de Everdon the 5th Bishop of this See was elected in the yeare â—â—46 but not consecrated till February 5th 1247. because he refused to accept of the election alledging his owne unworthinesse but at last upon better deliberation yeelded he was one of them that joyned with Boniface the Archbishop and Ethelmaâ—re the Elect of Winchester in their request to the King that remembring his promise often made hereafter he would not impeach the Libertie of Elections by interposing his armed requests c. The King acknowledged hee had indeede offended that way and that especially quoth he in making meanes for you your selves that thererefore of all other should least find fault with it To this man particularly hee used these words I remember how I exalted thee Sylvester of Carlile unto a Bishoppricke having hankered a long time about the Chancery and being a petty Chaplaine to my Chaplaines preferring thee before many grave and reverend Divines c. His conclusion was that if they would give over their places which they had obtained by so undue meanes he would hereafter forbeare to commend any so unworthy This was the yeare 1253. The yeare following